Published January 30, 2026

Fitness, My Late 20s, and Learning to Be Okay on My Own

Written by Haylee Fleming

Fitness, My Late 20s, and Learning to Be Okay on My Own

Your late 20s have a funny way of holding up a mirror. It’s the decade where the noise quiets just enough for you to hear your own thoughts—and sometimes, that’s terrifying. For me, it came with big questions: Am I where I thought I’d be? Why does everyone else seem so settled? Why do I feel so uncomfortable being alone?

Somewhere in the middle of all that uncertainty, I found fitness. Or maybe it found me.

At first, working out was just something to do. A way to burn stress, kill time, or feel like I was being “productive” when everything else felt messy. I wasn’t chasing a perfect body or a dramatic transformation—I just wanted to feel better in my own skin, even for an hour a day.

What I didn’t expect was how deeply fitness would reshape my relationship with myself.

Showing Up for Myself

Fitness became the one place where I consistently showed up—no matter my mood, no matter how chaotic life felt. There was something grounding about keeping promises to myself. Lacing up my shoes. Stepping into the gym. Choosing to move, even when motivation was low.

Over time, that consistency did something powerful: it built trust. I started believing myself when I said, I’ve got this. And that trust spilled into other parts of my life.

Learning to Be Alone (Without Feeling Lonely)

Spending time in the gym, going on solo walks, meal prepping for one—these quiet, solitary moments used to feel heavy. Fitness taught me how to sit with myself without distraction. No phone. No validation. Just breath, movement, effort.

I learned that being alone doesn’t automatically mean being lonely. Sometimes it means being present. Sometimes it means listening to your body instead of your doubts. Sometimes it means realizing you actually enjoy your own company.

That realization was huge.

Loving Myself Through Progress, Not Perfection

Fitness also changed how I define success. It stopped being about how I looked and started being about how I felt—stronger, calmer, more capable. I learned to respect my body for what it could do, not punish it for what it wasn’t.

On the hard days, working out reminded me that growth isn’t linear. Some days you lift heavier. Some days you just show up. Both count.

And that mindset—patience, grace, effort—slowly turned into self-love.

Growing Into Myself

Focusing on fitness in my late 20s didn’t solve everything. It didn’t magically give me all the answers or erase insecurity. But it gave me a foundation. A routine. A relationship with myself that feels steady and honest.

I’m learning that loving yourself isn’t loud or flashy. Sometimes it’s quiet. Sometimes it’s choosing movement over numbness. Sometimes it’s being okay with being alone because you finally feel at home within yourself.

And honestly?

That feels like strength.