MEMBERSHIP

Nine months ago when I joined the YMCA I really didn't have any set goals as to where I wanted to be a year later. Not even sure what my intention was for joining. However I knew I needed to do something to help me deal with the stress in my life plus my pain due to RA. Being a caretaker can be one of the most stressful situations a person has to deal with in life, especially when it is for a Parent. Stress can also add to the pain of RA. I can not say enough about how exercise and changing eating habits can help with pain/stress. It used to be a pet peeve of mine to see people on FB posting "going to the gym", or "working out". I actually felt these people were boasting about their "muscles" or just being preppy! I never thought I would become one of those people!! No, I don't post on FB every time I am at the gym, but I do feel the need to tell others how much it can help with stress and pain. Sometimes when I can barely move due to pain, I motivate myself somehow and make it to the gym. It is like a miracle worker. Not only do I feel better mentally but the exercise actually eases my pain. I have met some wonderful people here and am in much better shape than I was last year. I'm not where I want to be, but I'm making a lot of progress and will get there. When I hear people say they have no time to go to the gym or can't afford it, I know a person can make time and give up other things to afford the gym if it is a priority in their life. For me, I can't afford not to go! For all my friends/family that have helped me with their words of support/encouragement I can't thank you enough. Linda Barnett Eskew. This especially goes out to Wally Weathers! #workouttime #ymca 😃😊

I've been actively coming to The Y for a little over a year now. I made a resolution to become healthier and a gym routine was the first in many steps in the right direction. As I began to faithfully workout I discovered that my time at the gym was more than just exercise. Not only did I find myself losing weight and getting stronger I found community at the YMCA. I discovered I love attending the classes. A different work out every day is exciting and building relationships with the other members of my class keeps me accountable. The instructors not only provide encouragement but friendship. I'm so thankful for the support The Y has provided me. I feel infinitely blessed to be a part of the YMCA community. Maria Walker

More Than a Gym - My best friend, whom I met on the indoor track at the Y ten years ago, recently lamented at being tired of his job, of wondering if he was even doing the will of God. For at least a decade he’s questioned out loud if he was doing enough, if he was making a difference for others or the Kingdom of God. Between sets on various weight machines, I reminded him of the great difference he has made in my life, showing me a community of people who could guide me to a solution to my immense life challenges. Just today, I reminded him again of what he has done for me, that he has exceeding value to many of us. It occurs to me once again that lifting weights and running in place is just the beginning of why we come here. We talk about building healthy bodies, sound minds, and happy spirits. I’m firmly convinced we will never have healthy buff bodies if our souls are marinating in deep unresolved pain. I was sitting on a staff member’s desk the other day, holding her hand, while she unpacked an amazing amount of deep pain. I’m certain plenty of others were wondering what we were up to as we were in full view. Happily, the phone did not ring and no one made inquiries at her desk for ten minutes, a miracle unto itself. As she unloaded, I watched her experience an impressive release of grief; blessed relief soon unfolded before me. There was no more important place for me to be that day. Studies have shown focused deep listening from a friend is as therapeutic as paying a professional to sit and listen for fifty minutes. As a veteran of decades of paid therapy, I can attest to this reality in my own experience. I recall ten years ago a staff member checking in with me most mornings, reminding me I would eventually see light at the end of the long dark tunnel I’d been in for several years. A patron checked in with me routinely to see how I was doing with a structured taper from eighteen drugs, a process taking more than three years. Some days I could barely hang on. He helped me do so. To this day, this patron remains a good friend. The grimace you see next to you may have nothing to do with how much weight is being attempted or how fast someone is jogging on a fifteen percent incline. It may well have to do with seeking relief from the crushing despair of unseen burdens. I found relief from my own torments via intense exercise on a stair master. The few minutes of endorphin release after an hour of furious climbing would be my only relief all day long. Over time, the periods of release grew longer and more frequent. Little did I know I would find my best friends, an enfolding community, and an amazing amount of affirmation and inspiration in a place that is far more than a gym. Blessings, Craig C. Johnson

After a severe back injury, Ken Elliott was told by doctors that he would never walk again. The Anderson Area YMCA sees him walking and exercising 5 days a week! He came to our Y in 2015 and worked hard to reach his goal of getting back on his feet. Ken credits our Y with helping him not only physically but mentally and emotionally as well, due to the support and encouragement of staff and members that he has received on his journey to recovery. Ken stated that "after 4 back surgeries and 2 knee replacements, I am the best I have ever been!" Thank you for sharing your story Ken! Click here to watch his video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWRRVcgowhQ&spfreload=10