The Looks and Stares, But Not at Jane Do

 

Eyes, just so many eyes on you. From the moment you walk into a gym and the moment you walk out, eyes are always staring your way. Sometimes it’s judgment, and other times it’s attraction, but either way it’s a distraction. It’s time we, women, can go into a gym looking to achieve a goal without being uncomfortable. That’s why I wanted to try out Jane Do, located in Jersey City, an all women run fitness studio. 

I was simply exhausted of having to look up and down the gym before I got into a squat. I needed a place to get a workout in without having to force myself to be aware of the world around me. So of course I was building with excitement to take the class, but that didn’t dissipate any of my nerves either. I called up my good friend and fellow EverythingJerseyCity.com writer Emily to come bounce around with me at the Jane Do Tramp Stamp class. The next day we walked into the studio together feeling pretty nervous.  Surprisingly, my nerves quickly faded as I entered. The moment you walk in, all you see are bright smiles. The workers, including the instructor of the class, Mazz, greeted me at the door making me feel welcomed and comfortable. Not only was I even more ecstatic to try a trampoline class, but I was loving the aura of the environment. Rooms were filled with uplifting and encouraging symbols that flooded my mind and soul with self love and motivation. 

So after giving myself a pep talk under their golden crown imprinted on the door, I waited for everyone to arrive next to my own little trampoline.  As a couple of minutes passed by, women were walking in with the biggest smiles and the warmest greetings. They were sharing compliments and encouraging words; they were embracing one another. You see, Jane Do isn’t only a fitness studio, they are a way that women can gain self confidence. Even if I was filled with hesitation, fear, and looking like a fool, I felt a little better knowing that these women were uplifting one another. And so, I got on that trampoline and tried to keep up with the rest of the class. Five minutes into jumping, a tiny droplet of sweat gliding down my forehead quickly became a monsoon flooding my entire face. It was clearer than ever that I was struggling to keep up with the movements and the speed. The workout required a lot of jumping, obviously, but also a lot of kicks and turns as well. The movements done in the class were definitely not my day to day movements. I mean how could they be? It was almost like doing small segments of dance routines while jumping inches up in the air. 

For one, I don’t dance on a regular basis and I definitely don’t jump on a trampoline very often either. And so, doing these two things simultaneously were pretty difficult to grasp at times, but Mazz didn’t give up on me. She proceeded to share smiles and motivating words into the microphone, which resonated throughout the entire room. Her words and her encouraging smile helped me push through each difficult phase of the class, and trust me there were a lot. In that very moment, I realized that Jane Do had a different atmosphere. It wasn’t a place that women had to be self conscious about how they looked, it was a freeing environment where we, women, could be free. As a women surrounded by many societal pressures to be a certain way, it was freeing to be in an environment where those standards flew out of the window.

jane do jersey cityI can’t speak for every member of the studio, but I can genuinely say that I walked out with the feeling of self accomplishment and a great desire to try every other class. Jane Do provides five 50 minute total body workout classes that require zero past experience to a variety of individuals with different goals. Some of which are Train Jain, a strength training class, Dance Your A** Off, a class that utilizes sport and dance routines, and Get lifted, a high energy and low impact sculpting class. 

No more uncomfortable stares. No more complicated machines that many of us, including myself, struggle to work. No more. Say yes to more confidence, self love, and motivation. Like my instructor, Mazz, said “in with the self confidence and out with the bullshit.” If you want a taste of the what that truly means make sure to attend their Celebration of  Powerful Women event on September 14th.

Check out our listings for other fitness studios and gyms in Jersey City!

 

 

Alexis Kim
Author: Alexis Kim