Fountain City Fitness Has Helped Bri Develop Habits for Lifelong Fitness

Name: Bri

Age: 45

Occupation: Director of Education

When Bri joined Fountain City Fitness in February 2019, she had only planned to stay for a month. She had a Groupon for BKS, the gym’s previous iteration, and was not expecting to find a long-term home for her fitness routine.

Before that, Bri had tried running, had belonged to several gyms, and had taken classes at a yoga studio. She would try new things but eventually give up on them. At the time, she was working her first desk job and was mostly sedentary. She wanted to get fitter, but consistency had always been difficult.

“I had tried so many things,” Bri says. “I did them for a while and then stopped.”

After her first month at the gym, she saw enough of a difference to stay. 

“When I joined the gym that became FCF, I had three other places I could work out for free,” she says. “But after my first month at FCF, I saw that it was different. I opted to pay to go there because I saw the value.”

What made it different was the community. Over the years, the faces at the gym have changed, but the way people relate to one another has remained constant.

“We support one another; we get to know one another; we suffer and triumph together,” Bri says. “We’re stronger together.”

Since joining Fountain City, Bri has lost approximately 65 pounds. The bigger change, though, has been establishing a routine she can sustain.

“Perhaps most importantly, for the first time in my life, I’ve become consistent about working out.”

She credits the coaches with making that possible. Bri does not need to arrive with a detailed plan or the ability to complete every movement exactly as prescribed. She can show up, follow the workout and make adjustments based on what her body can do that day.

“Almost everyone at the gym scales, and that’s not just accepted; it’s encouraged,” she says.

That flexibility has allowed Bri to focus on progress instead of comparison. One of her proudest moments was deadlifting 270 pounds.

“That was pretty great,” she says. “I can’t do that now, and I don’t care, but it was pretty awesome.”

Her perspective on fitness has changed along with her strength. 

“I have never been an athlete. I never played sports. I was never good in gym class. I was never particularly fit. At least I wasn’t until I came here.”

For anyone who feels nervous about joining, Bri’s advice is simple: “Just try it, and don’t be afraid to ask the coach how to modify the workouts to better align with your skills as they are.”

After expecting to stay for only a month, Bri has been a member of Fountain City Fitness for over 7 years. She has found a community, built lasting habits, and discovered an approach to fitness that meets her where she is.