Woman Reveals The Kind Words A Stranger At The Gym Said To Her That Left Her In Tears
A little kindness always goes a long way!
@steph5468 / TikTok Going to the gym takes a lot of dedication and commitment that is not nearly recognized as much as it should be. For some people, it takes a massive amount of self-esteem and encouragement to even bring themselves to the front doors of a gym, and it can be intimidating when you’re surrounded by fitness experts who appear to be in flawless shape.
One woman who has been going to her local gym for over two years knows this feeling all too well and expressed the difficulties of bringing herself to work out in the presence of others — until one day when a fellow gym-goer gave her a compliment that changed her entire perspective and reduced her to tears.
The stranger told the woman that he sees her working out at the gym a lot and is ‘proud’ of her dedication.
In a TikTok video, frequent gym-goer Stephanie sits in her car with tears in her eyes recounting her past struggles with making it to the gym as a bigger person.
“There’s a lot of thoughts that go through your head being a bigger woman in the gym because there are all sorts of ages in there, different body types super fit, not fit, and it kind of messes with your head,” she explains. “You never really know what somebody is thinking about you when they look your way.”
Stephanie admits that going to the gym has been especially difficult for her lately since she is struggling with her progress, suffers from multiple medical issues, and has been the subject of bullying from other gym goers (with one man calling her an “ogre” as she left the building one day).
So when a fit man called after her one particular day as she was walking out of the gym, Stephanie braced herself for the worst.
However, she was left overwhelmed with gratitude by what the stranger had to say.
“He goes, ‘I’ve seen you in here every week, almost every day and I’m proud of you,’” she tearfully recalls. “You have no idea how much people who are going through something appreciate kindness.”
Stephanie says that the man’s comments changed her day, and she is grateful for people like him who take the time to encourage and uplift others. She acknowledges that while some people may not be facing the same struggles as her, everyone has their own insecurities and could benefit from compliments given to them by random strangers.
Other TikTok users were also deeply moved by the man’s act of kindness.
“This made my eyes water. Sending you a hug sis!! I’m proud of you. Keep up the good fight, you got this!!” one user commented.
“If there's anything I've learned, the biggest, strongest, most intimidating guys in the gym, happen to be so kind and caring. they know what it takes,” another user wrote.
“I'm struggling at the moment too. Hearing this helped me… you're amazing. Don't give up,” another user shared.
Stephanie is not the only plus-size person who feels uneasy about going to the gym.
According to a study conducted by OriGym, 28% of gym-goers who classify themselves as plus-size have felt uncomfortable at the gym, 24% reported feeling “excessively stared at,” 18% have experienced teasing from other gym-goers and 16% have had someone make a negative remark about their weight.
Although everyone who goes to the gym may have different body types and shapes, they all have one common characteristic: they want to improve themselves physically and mentally, and that is something we should be commended, not ashamed, for.
As Stephanie pointed out, we all have our own insecurities and doubts about ourselves. Even just one word of encouragement from a stranger can completely turn someone’s day around and give them the motivation to get through it.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.