I Was Never a Gym Girl…. Until it all changed!! My Journey of How I Went From “Not a Gym Girl” to Loving Weights

Workout and exercise have been a part of my life for a long time, but I have had a bitter-sweet relationship with them. I would join a class, go there for some days and then it would stop. I was not consistent and would blame it on either being busy or on some random reason. However, no matter the reason, if we want to do something, we do it, find time for it and go for it. I lacked dedication, and that is why I made excuses.

I was never a gym girl. I liked nature walks and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) to stay active, or on the move, but for a workout, I loved dancing and Zumba to be precise. I had also joined gyms, but it never connected with me well enough. I would go, but not enjoy it as much as I did in Zumba. Movement, music, rhythm—that was my world. If there was a workout I could look forward to, it had to feel like joy. Something that made me forget I was exercising in the first place.

I remember that while I was working for a Public Relations agency, I had joined Zumba classes. The classes were in the evening for 3 days a week. On those 3 days, I would never schedule a meeting or call. For me, everything could wait for that 1 hour after work. And trust me, I loved every part of that class. It was such a stress buster and a recovery zone for me in so many ways.

People used to tell me that I should also go for strength training for a few days because it has many health benefits. I tried doing it, but it never resonated with me in a way that Zumba did.

Until recently, when life changed my relationship with my body and mind.

Recently, I was diagnosed with mild anxiety (thankfully, we caught it super early). This phase of being anxious shifted more than just my thoughts – it changed how I experienced my body.

There was a constant sense of restlessness. My mind felt overactive, so much so that I could barely sleep at night. Days passed by when I had minimal to no sleep, resulting in mood shifts, stomach disorders and bouts of emotional crying and breakdowns throughout the day.

As I write this, my hands are still trembling, and I have a few little tears gathered up in my eyes. Because that was not easy, it was very new and an unknown feeling I had all those days. But I am past it, and it feels great to be over it, and now I am much more observant of myself, my feelings, my schedules and my days. Most of the days are good, some days not so much, but that's normal. Doesn't it happen with everyone anyway?

All through that time, my husband was my knight in shining armour. He was the one to recognize that it was not just regular insomnia, it was something else. He pushed me to schedule an appointment with our family doctor. He did everything to make sure that we dealt with it with love and positivity and got through it. And I can not thank him enough for everything. I am blessed and grateful to have a partner, a friend and a companion like him.

Well, my doctor’s visit was very positive and satisfying. He made me fill out a questionnaire to assess my anxiety levels, which came out to be very mild, maybe just the start of something big. He prescribed me an over-the-counter Melatonin to regulate my sleep to get that active nervous system calm down and Creatine Monoxide 3 - 5 grams daily for energy, and recovery because mental burnout takes away a lot of your physical energy.

Other than the melatonin, he suggested something I had not expected – strength training.

Not just walking. Not just yoga. But structured, progressive strength training with weights.

He specifically mentioned that it's going to be a bit difficult for a few days, but it's going to be okay, and it's going to help no matter what. I still remember his words; he said a good mix of strength training and cardio can do much more than any anti-anxiety pills or antidepressants.

That was it, I wanted to get out of feeling what I was and was ready to hop onto anything. 2 days later, I was at the gym enrolling myself.

My husband and I both went to the gym together and worked out together. He has been a gym freak, and he guided me with my gym routine and helped me with weight training. I continued my Melatonin along with the workout. It did help me sleep and recover.

My doctor had prescribed me Melatonin for 2 weeks and had said that I have to get off it after that, and working out would help me do that. Trust me, it did. 2 weeks later, I could sleep by myself, without the medicine. I continued working out. My sleep was fragmented, broken, but at least I could sleep. The powerful combination of Melatonin, Creatine Monoxide and Strength Training worked really well for me.

It took me 3 months to fully recover from it. I was off the medicine and was working out, but my nervous system had taken a toll already. So, my sleep, skin, and stomach were disturbed. There were days when I felt that I was again anxious, but you have to fight it yourself. The demons of thoughts in your brain will always push you into a loop of scenarios that may never exist, but you will keep imagining them, and it will make it worse for you.

So, I fought, I chanted, I went for nature walks, I distanced myself from a lot of things and 3 months later, I feel like before. And I give the credits to my husband, chanting, my doctor and the weights.

Earlier, my goal for any form of workout was weight loss because I have always been conscious of it, but now it’s just being fit and healthy. The physical aspect of it has taken a back seat. It’s all about my mental well – being now.

In these past 3 months, people saw me, online and offline. I must have looked absolutely fine, but behind closed doors, it was my husband and I fighting a battle many knew about, many chose to be ignorant of, and many did not know at all. Some days in these months went well, but some days for sure were challenging and exhausting for both of us.

But the workouts went on. I would say that they were not daily, but thrice in a week kept the rhythm going.

The thing with strength training is that it forces you to be present.

When you are lifting weights, you cannot be anywhere else mentally. You are focused on your breath, your form, your movement. You are grounded in your body in a way that leaves very little space for anxious thoughts to spiral.

For someone dealing with anxiety, this grounding effect is powerful. Strength training didn’t “cure” anxiety—but it gave my mind structure through my body.

And that made a real difference.

I did a little deep dive into how strength training is good for mental health scientifically and found out things which I was unaware of.

1. Reduced anxiety symptoms

Exercise helps regulate stress hormones like cortisol while increasing endorphins, which improve mood.

2. Improved mood and emotional stability

Resistance training supports dopamine and serotonin regulation, which are key to emotional balance.

3. Better sleep quality

Regular strength training helps regulate circadian rhythms and reduces mental overactivity at night.

4. Increased confidence and self-efficacy

Lifting weights builds a sense of capability—physically and mentally. You literally see yourself getting stronger over time.

5. Cognitive clarity

Exercise improves blood flow to the brain, which can enhance focus and reduce mental fog.

This is why many psychologists and doctors now recommend strength training as part of anxiety and depression management.

Strength training for women is a total game-changer in so many ways. We have such exhausting hormonal cycles that affect us and our personalities in so many ways.

For a long time, strength training was wrongly associated with “bulking up” or being overly intense. Many women were encouraged to stick to cardio, yoga, or light workouts. But that narrative is changing—and it needs to.

Strength training is one of the most beneficial forms of exercise for women’s long-term health.

1. Builds lean muscle and improves metabolism

Muscle is a metabolically active tissue. More muscle means better metabolism, which supports long-term weight management and energy levels.

2. Supports hormonal health

Strength training can help regulate insulin sensitivity and support hormonal balance, especially important for women experiencing PMS, PCOS, or perimenopause changes.

3. Improves bone density

Women are at higher risk of osteoporosis as they age. Strength training helps increase bone density and reduces future fracture risk.

4. Enhances posture and physical strength

It strengthens the core, back, and stabilizing muscles, improving posture and reducing everyday pain (like back and neck discomfort).

5. Boosts confidence in a deeply internal way

There is something powerful about realizing your body is strong—not just aesthetic, but functional.

Lifting groceries, climbing stairs, carrying your life with more ease—it changes how you see yourself.

I have experienced many of these in my journey, and I wish no one had to choose strength training because of something they get diagnosed with. For me, I feel it was a learning experience in a lot of ways.

I am now more aware of what suits my health, both mental and physical. I have become more observant of things, humans, and surroundings. I have learnt to manage the triggers that would push me to be anxious. I have also learned that chanting and praying are powerful. I am not sure how many of my readers would agree with me on this, and everyone has the right to do and follow what their heart says. For me, chanting and praying helped a lot, and I continue doing it every day.

I still love dancing.

Zumba still feels like joy, expression, and freedom. It will always be part of me. But strength training added something I didn’t know I needed - stability.

Dance is where I lose myself in rhythm. The gym is where I find myself in structure.

And both can exist together.

This is something I wish more people understood: you don’t have to choose one identity forever.

You can evolve.

What Changed Over Time

The shift wasn’t dramatic. It was subtle.

At first, I showed up because I “had to.”

Then I showed up because I “should.”

And now I show up because I want to.

That difference changes everything.

Common Misconceptions About Strength Training (Especially for Beginners)

If you’re someone who has never lifted weights before, you might relate to some of the doubts I had:

“I will get bulky.”

This is one of the biggest myths. Women do not naturally gain bulky muscle easily due to hormonal differences. Strength training builds tone, not bulk.

“The gym is intimidating.”

It feels that way at first, but most people are focused on their own workouts. Starting with guidance makes a huge difference.

“Cardio is enough.”

Cardio is great, but strength training provides benefits that cardio alone cannot—like bone health, muscle development, and long-term metabolism support.

“I’m not a gym person.”

I used to say this too. But often, it just means you haven’t found your entry point yet.

You don’t have to become a gym person.

But you should try it at least once.

Because strength training teaches you things beyond fitness:

• Discipline without pressure

• Presence without distraction

• Strength without aggression

• Confidence without comparison

  
  

It is one of the few workouts that changes not just your body—but how you inhabit your body.

Don't forget to take that time out for recovery, massaging and relaxing!

My Little Note on Mental Health

In today's fast-paced world, each one of us is so focused on achieving something or the other that we lose grip of our health, both mentally and physically. We ignore our mental health, burnouts like they do not exist, until they become a point of concern by affecting our daily lives.

Often, it is mistaken that one should keep themselves busy to avoid anxiety. This is the biggest myth that I unfolded when I went through it. I had work to keep me busy. We had just moved houses, and I had boxes filled to unpack and settle. Yet I was not myself. I was lost somewhere. My brain was not working in my favour. So, staying busy is not what is going to prevent you; it might distract you from feeling what you are feeling, that's about it.

Whenever you feel like you’re not yourself, seek help. Go to the doctor. Don’t let that feeling linger. It may be nothing, but it may also be something that you are unaware of. Early diagnosis saves a lot of YOU! And don't take any medicine without consulting a doctor.

Sleep well, take care of your health, and don’t glorify being busy. You have just one life. If you’re unwell, no amount of money can bring back the time you lose.  

Burnouts don’t arrive announced; their consequences make that entry in your life when you least expect them.

My heart goes out to everyone battling any kind of health issue.

We are all works in progress, and let's make sure that the progress is an overall one.