When I started planning my blog posts, I decided to give each month a theme; not just to stay consistent with writing, but to actually live what I write about. October’s theme is habits and consistency.
So when I sat down to write this post, I asked myself… what has going to the gym really taught me about consistency – inside or outside of the gym?
Here’s the truth: I didn’t even renew my gym membership this month. I’m earning little, working a lot, and honestly just trying to stay afloat. But does that mean I haven’t learned anything about consistency? Not at all. If anything, it’s taught me even more.
Movement Has Always Been a Part of Me
I’ve always been active in some way. As a kid, I did teddy aerobics (basically gymnastics for little ones). I swam, and I still do occasionally. I did ballroom and Latin dancing for years. I joined gyms, went to workout classes, attempted solo workouts, even followed YouTube routines at home.
If you looked at me, you might not have guessed it… but movement has always been there. The thing is, my routines were always linked to other people. If they went, I went. If they skipped, I skipped. Their motivation carried mine… and when it dropped, mine dropped too.
Joining a Gym in Korea
Moving to South Korea changed things. Joining the gym here was honestly terrifying. I’m pretty sure my friend and I are the only foreigners at our gym, and when I go alone, I feel so out of place. What if I don’t understand something? What if there’s a problem and the language barrier gets in the way?
Gyms can already feel intimidating… but in Korea, surrounded by people who look so fit and healthy, I feel like I stand out even more. Blonde, foreign, and bigger than everyone else… I wanted to quit before I even began.
Showing Up Consistently
But here’s what I’ve been learning: when I actually stay consistent, I feel it – mentally and physically. I don’t feel like I’m starting over from scratch each time. Instead, I feel momentum building.
My gym sessions spill over into the rest of my day… I make better food choices, I stick to my routines, I keep my apartment cleaner, I’m more productive with work and personal projects. Everything clicks a little easier when I’m consistent.
The Struggles
Of course, it’s not smooth. With autoimmune issues, when I get sick, I stay sick for a while. That knocks me off track, and it’s hard to get back in rhythm. Even without illness, the smallest shifts can throw me off… a change in schedule, bad weather (since I walk to the gym), or just the temptation of a warm bed when I’m sleepy. Skipping is always easier than showing up.
The Wins
But when I do show up… that’s when the magic happens. My wins aren’t about lifting heavier or looking a certain way. My wins are the ripple effects… choosing nourishing food, feeling more in control of my environment, actually being productive with projects I’ve been putting off.
Consistency at the gym teaches me consistency everywhere else.
Making My Home My Gym
Since I couldn’t renew my gym membership, I had to shift my mindset. Instead of seeing it as “I can’t work out,” I asked myself, “How can I still move?”
I bought a bike so I can ride around instead of always taking the subway or bus. I use my vibration plate to do short workouts. I’ve got resistance bands, light weights, and YouTube workout videos. I even started getting off the bus one stop earlier and walking the rest of the way.
Do I miss the gym? Yes… sometimes… just sometimes I even miss the environment and the push it gave me. But I also enjoy home workouts. If I’m unmotivated, I tell myself to just do 5–10 minutes… and that usually turns into more. I can stay in my PJs, skip the twenty-minute uphill walk, and still get it done.
My focus has shifted from “I need the gym” to “I need to move my body.” That’s still consistency. That’s still progress.
One day, when things are more stable financially, I’ll go back. But for now, I’m proud that I didn’t give up – I just adapted.
Bigger Than the Gym
Living in South Korea, I can’t help but notice how skinny and fit everyone looks. I know being skinny doesn’t always mean being healthy, but to the eye, it looks that way. And standing next to that, I feel even more aware of my size.
Honestly, sometimes I feel like I stand out more for being overweight than for being foreign with blonde hair. It gets to me. I avoid things like Lotte World or even trying on a hanbok because I worry what people will think.
My negative thoughts project onto others… assuming they’re judging me, even if they’re not.
And then there are the kids. Kids don’t have filters. Just the other day, I walked into class and about five students ran up to me shouting, “Teacher, teacher, she said you are fat. She said you are too big.” A few weeks earlier, another asked bluntly, “Why are you so big?”
I told them I had been sick and on medication, which is the truth (Lets be honest its not the only reason but plays a big part into my size). But still, each comment feels like a stab. I know I’m overweight. I know I’m obese. But the truth is, they don’t know the struggles. They don’t know the context.
That’s part of why consistency matters to me. Even if my body doesn’t change the way I want, I’ll know I’m doing my best… that I’m already doing the things people might say I “should” be doing.
At the end of the day, the gym (or my version of it at home) is about more than my body. It’s about proving to myself that I can keep showing up, even when it’s hard. And that lesson is worth more than any number on a scale.
✨ What’s something in your life that teaches you consistency, even when it’s hard?
X N
Life in Progress Diaries 
Leave a comment