This week on Chronversations, we stop by Columbia’s Fitness Center again to find out who’s really hitting the gym over the summer.From daily gymgoers to fitness journey beginner, each of them is finding their own rhythm, and redefining what it means to be a “gym rat.”

TRANSCRIPT

0:07: Welcome back to Chronicle Conversations. 

0:10: I’m your host, Stella Huang. 

 0:15: It’s Wednesday, June 11th. It’s very sunny outside. 

 0:21: I’m at the Student Center again. 

 0:23: I’m going to the gym and seeing how many gym rats are there. 

 0:28: You know, the kind of people who live at the gym, who drink protein shakes like water, who treat ‘leg day’ like a sacred ritual but is that who really comes to Columbia’s Fitness Center? Let’s find out. 

 0:44: Just like for this year, I’ve been coming to the gym every day like before like class or now I’ve just been coming like every day in the morning before I work. 

 0:53: That’s Charlotte, a comedy major who just finished her sophomore year. 

 0:59: She’s here most mornings, sometimes walking on a treadmill, sometimes stretching in the studio space and always thinking of her friend. 

 1:08: I started with my friend, like me and my friend started coming here every day. 

 1:13: We called it our finished journey. 

 1:16: For Charlotte, the gym is not just about health. It’s about connection and friendship. 

 1:21: I mean, I just really think of my friend, my friend Amy Ray for sure.

 1:27: Like we have really busy schedules, especially during the school year and so it was kind of like our only time to really see each other a lot. 

 1:34: I feel like we bond so much in here , like I love her so much and I’m so happy that we started this together. 

 1:40: I’m really proud of like her and like she’s really proud of me for it and I just feel like it’s a really welcoming place too. 

 1:45: I’ve never felt uncomfortable and it’s pretty chill usually. 

 1:48: Like it’s just sort of solidarity of like, I know you like you’re here all the time. 

 1:52: Next up is Ryan. A film and television student. 

 1:56: He is a regular at the gym, coming in 3 or 4 times a week. 

 2:01: This is a good like way to like stress relief, but also like, again, wanting to improve my body and wanting, it’s also a really good way to keep me motivated as well too. 

 2:13: Does he call himself a gym rat? 

 2:15: I wouldn’t consider myself a gym rat, but I don’t know. 

 2:17: I feel like I come to the gym often enough, but I don’t know if I would consider myself that. 

 2:22: For Ryan, the gym is about discipline. 

 2:25: Energy and getting in the right mindset for everything else. 

 2:28: People sometimes forget about that part of working out. It’s just such a good way to like just stress relief. 

 2:33: Being in a healthier mindset and being more physically active has helped me be more energized and attentive for my work outside of like fitness and just overall improved me in any aspect of my life. 

 2:47: Then there’s Sabrina, also a comedy major but she’s here for something a little different. 

 2:54: There’s a yoga class here every Wednesday in the summertime. 

 2:57: I’m a huge yoga nut. Yoga is healing. I’m glad that Columbia has it. 

 3:02: Sabrina’s mom is a yoga teacher. 

 3:04: She’s not here to grind. 

 3:06: She’s here to stretch, de-stress and reset. 

 3:11: My mom’s a yoga teacher, I’m not fit, but I can stretch, so that makes me feel good. 

 3:16: It’s like the only way I can like physically manage my stress sometimes at school. 

 3:20: It’s easier to focus when you’re like working on your body as well as like your mind, which comes into yoga. 

 3:28: So, if I’m like really stressed out with like school, it’s like the only one of the only ways that I can like take myself out of that stress. 

 3:38: She’s just starting her fitness journey. 

 3:41: But fortunately, she’s not doing it alone. 

 3:44: I’m trying not to put a lot of pressure on myself. Work on your fitness journey. 

 3:48: That’s what I’m trying to do. I’m trying to start this journey. 

 3:50: But everybody here is super friendly and I really enjoy like the sense of camaraderie between the coaches and the students. 

 3:58: So…not exactly gym rats, but they’re showing up for themselves, for their friends, for a fresh start. 

 4:09: At Columbia, maybe it’s not about lifting the heaviest weights. 

 4:13: It’s about taking care of your body and mind, and finding your own rhythm. 

 4:19: Make sure to stay up to date with campus and metro news at columbiachronicle.com.

 4:24: And sign up for our newsletter at columbiachronicle.com/newsletter. 

 4:30: I’m Stella Huang. 

 4:32: Thanks for listening. 

Copy edited by Manuel Nocera