Fitter, Healthier, Happier: Building a Healthy Life with Jaime Thompson

September is a moment of many changes. This month marks the beginning of Autumn season, businesses establish their Q4 goals and we all aim to renew our annual goals. One of those goals are oftentimes our fitness goals! In this time of reflection, reassessment and renewal, we spoke to Owner of Happy Hour CrossFit, Jaime Thompson, to discuss his inspirations, service offerings, and motivational tips to get you back on your fitness journey just before the holidays!

Sign Island (SI): Let's break the ice! What's your biggest pet peeve? ??

Jaime (J): Probably would have to be: being constantly late to events/appointments.

SI: Wow, so relatable! Okay let's get serious. What inspired you to create Happy Hour CrossFit?

J: Happy Hour CrossFit is a brand that was designed to provide the world with a fun environment to achieve their fitness goals. The typical globo gyms are filled with egomaniacs; it's an environment which makes some more uncomfortable than others to exercise. HHCF is a no-ego zone. We make everyone feel welcomed from the moment they step into the gym. Our coaches provide the attention, guidance, and friendliness to not only make members comfortable, but most importantly help them achieve their fitness goals. I started off as a member in 2017, and the torch was passed on to myself in 2020. My inspiration comes from what was created in the past, to carry the philosophy of HHCF into the future. Our goal is simple: to help everyone get fitter, healthier, and happier.

SI: Tell us about your personal fitness journey. What was your process on becoming 'Fitter, Healthier & Happier'?

J: Fitness has always been a part of my life. Was it as much of a lifestyle as before? Definitely not. Being in my mid-20s, it's been a process leaning away from all of the different bad habits which come as the norm of being a young adult, college student, or just a kid. As a former national and collegiate soccer player, I always held myself to some sort of standard when it came to my health and fitness. That really only meant that I didn't drink (alcohol). I was never much of a drinker. I loved eating pizza, fries, cookies..... Yeah those sorts of things. I loved sweets. That's the worst it got when it came to my bad eating but aside from that I just liked to stay up late playing video games every night (don't tell my mom).

Ironically I hated the gym.. Crazy but it's true: it wasn't fun to me. Not until I started doing

CrossFit in 2017. That was a game changer. There's a community wherever you go that's so supportive, and energetic so you can have an amazing time every second you're there. The program is also different; the workouts are timed, and a combination of different movements to keep you moving nonstop. CrossFit is an experience like no other. It's what's brought me to where I am now in my fitness. Especially as I started to study more and more the methodology and philosophy of CrossFit. I began to understand more about the importance of not only exercise, but nutrition as well. I organically applied it to my lifestyle.

Fast forward to today: I workout 6 days per week; I'm strictly on a pescatarian diet (never ate meat); I don't go out very much; I haven't had a sip of alcohol in over 5+ years; I'm in bed by 9:30/10pm every night. I'd definitely say it's been a journey reaching this point in my life. I mean, that's what it is isn't it? ;)

SI: You're big on creating a community, not just a gym. What makes Happy Hour CrossFit unique in the local fitness space?

J: I believe every fitness space has their uniqueness. In ways that will attract some more than others. It's why people at HHCF don't go to MacFit or Empire, and it's the same vice-versa. I don't want to gloat and brag saying why our gym is better than others. What I will say is that HHCF is relatively smaller: our focus is on group classes no more than 9 people per session, and one-on-one training. What this does, is provide us with an opportunity to focus on each individual, and the goals they want to achieve. The special thing about this, is that we all know what we're here to do: achieve goals, and live fitter, healthier, and happier. This creates a space filled with likeminded people. As a result, we have a wide demographic of membership, and fitness levels. Whether you're in your late teens, or your late 70s; or if it's your first day ever in a gym, or maybe you've been exercising for 10+ years, we have a fitness family for you to be a part of, and have an amazing time while crushing some goals.

SI: In your experience, what is the hardest obstacle for most clients and how do you encourage them through those obstacles?

J: The hardest obstacle for most of my clients has to be consistency. Which is totally understandable! We all have jobs that tire us out, some days more than others which can play a huge factor in whether or not we have the energy to go to the gym that day. Sometimes members are just working late and can't make it, or they have school pickup. Things get in the way all the time to throw members off. Funny enough, the encouragement doesn't always come from me personally. A lot of times, it's the members. Cause if we don't see you, then we miss you. We want you here, just as much as you want to be here. So the members will message one another to help us keep everyone on track.

When it comes to my approach to keeping everyone on track: provide the tools and resources to help members stay consistent. In other words, if you can't make it to the gym one day, then here's an at-home workout for you to complete. If you're traveling, great! I've got workouts for you to do while you're on your way and you can check in with any questions that you may have.

We at HHCF do our best to provide our members with different avenues to help them stay consistent, and make fitness a part of their lifestyle. I would say one of the most encouraging things I'd say is just reminding them why they started in the first place. This usually is very helpful.

SI: What are some of the benefits of investing in fitness that people don't usually think of?

J: Investing in fitness has so many different benefits:

● Helps improve your sleep

● Improves your mood

● Encourages you to be more financially responsible

One of the biggest benefits however, is something not many people realise until later on in their fitness journey: it builds character. It helps you become relentless towards anything you want in life; doing what it takes, and being consistent towards achieving it.

SI: What are some tips or advice that you would give to someone completely new, that's looking to start their fitness journey?

J:

1. Do something you enjoy. Your fitness journey is supposed to be fun! So no matter what it is, always exercise doing something you like. Starting off I'd recommend 30-45 minutes per day, anywhere between 3-5 days per week. When you think you're ready for something new and more intense, go for it! Just make sure you're always doing something you like :)

2. Be patient and enjoy the process. It's called a fitness journey for a reason.

3. Find a community. It's difficult starting a fitness journey alone. Find a friend, a colleague, or even a gym that can best suit your goals, and your persona. You're going to need them to help you stay consistent.

For the full article, visit our LinkedIn articles to read. For more information, or to follow JaimeThompson, you can connect with him via his Website, Instagram and Tik Tok