Bar Method Opens Doors For A Video Fitness Gathering

My husband likes to draw attention to the fact that I have many imaginary friends. "Imaginary" might not be the proper word to use, however.  The truth is that I have many friends that I have never spoken to, met or even know their real names. These are people, all women, who I have befriended through online message boards.

I have been a member of an exercise message board called videofitness.com since 2006.  At that time, my daughters were 3 and 1 and getting exercise was challenging.  I was always a gym rat but decided to try working out with dvds.  A quick Google search brought up the site and I've been hooked ever since.  Even though I now belong to a gym, I still frequent the board to hear what the latest fitness fad is since I love all things having to do with health and fitness.

One popular topic was on the board was The Bar Method. Members chatted about their reviews of the latest dvds.  In January, a member proposed a VF (Video Fitness) gathering in New Jersey at a Bar Method location.  When I saw that thread, I was all over it. I suggested the Summit location since that was the closest one to my house.  Nearly two months later, 4 members and myself met for the first time on a Saturday morning at the studio.

I have to admit I was nervous.  I had never met these women before, aside from one who I had met a few weeks earlier at a class.  Would we like each other?  What would we talk about?

Turns out I worried for nothing.  All the women were very nice and friendly.  Most had traveled for miles in order to get to Summit.  One woman, Jen, drove for an hour and a half from Exton, Pa.  On the way, she picked up Namita, who lives in Royersford, Pa.  It was the first time Jen and Namita had ever met. Leslie, from Flemington, drove 50 minutes to Summit.  Jennifer, who lives in Whippany, had only about a 10-minute drive.  I live in Maplewood and also had an easy commute.

As we all stood in the studio, we had a few minutes to chat and get to know each other.  We revealed our real names versus the name we use on the board. It is really funny when you get to know someone online and then see what they look like in person.  Jennifer revealed she expected me to be very tall and was surprised to see how "tiny" I am.  (I'm 5'2" by the way). 

Aside from Jennifer and myself, none of the other women had taken a live class at The Bar Method, so Jennifer and I tried to explain what to expect.  We all managed to survive the class and then had to decide on where to eat for lunch.  We ended up at the Peppercorn Diner. As we ate our omelets and wraps, we continued to talk about our exercise habits, favorite and not so favorite exercise videos and the other types of workouts that we do.

As we said our goodbyes, we made plans for our next gathering. All in all, it was a great afternoon.