England: Addison Peters (Interact)

Interact

While in London, I have made a great effort to stay active. While I do a lot of walking here, it hasn’t been enough for my liking. Back home, I was a part of my school’s track team. I lifted and sprinted a lot. Hearing about the Anytime Fitness nearby, I knew I would get a membership. I try to go three to four days a week. It has been fun and beneficial but surprisingly different. It is noticeably smaller than any gym I have been to. The difference makes sense as most buildings are smaller here. Another difference I have noticed is the social norms while being in the gym. In the gyms I go to in Wisconsin it is expected that if you are using a rack, you take the weights off after using it. In London, many people will leave their weights on the bar on the rack. The people will leave them on and start doing another exercise, forgetting the weights on the rack. The weights don’t bother me much, they just added to my workout, forcing me to unrack the weights. I have interacted with a few workers and other members, everyone has been very kind and motivated. In my particular gym, there are a lot of trainers. Every time I go, I notice that around 2-3 people are working out with a trainer. The frequent trainers might be due to the area where the gym is located, or potentially a cultural difference, but I tend to believe the first reason more.

Addison Peters

Major: Psychology

Hometown: Oregon, Wisconsin