Hitting the alarm clock early in the morning, senior Erika Lampkin rolls over and wills herself to open her eyes. Her warm bed beckons, but the will to workout perseveres. Pulling into the Fit-N-Wise parking lot around 5:45, she knows that she made the right decision.

“I feel energized in the mornings,” Lampkin said. “I may not be when I wake up, but after I get going I feel accomplished.”

Not alone in her work-out endeavors, junior Haleigh Newville joins her in the gym. Together, they decided to make a pact to become more fit.

“Me and Haleigh just decided to get in shape now that her cross country season is over,” Lampkin said. “And I want to have that prom dress fit just right.”

Initially, the gym appeared intimidating to the girls. The equipment looked strenuous and unfamiliar and it was hard to walk in without fear of others judging them.

“Everyone is just sitting there lifting all these heavy weights and I didn’t really know what to do,” Newville said.

Eventually, the gym became less nerve-racking and more relaxing.

“It gives me time to think things through,” she said.

Both girls prefer to begin their day at the gym, giving their bodies the kick-start they need to get moving.

“Whenever I go in the mornings, I am energized and feel good about myself,” Newville said.

Waking up early to fit in an hour -long workout almost everyday isn’t easy, yet the girls know that the end result will be worth it.

“Managing time is the hardest thing,” Lampkin said. “I guess if you really want something, you make time for it.”

Yet, when time and scheduling does get the best of them, both girls experience feelings of remorse.

“I feel bad because I know I should have gone,” Lampkin said. “Usually if I don’t go in the mornings, I try to go in the afternoon.”

When Newville finds it particularly hard to make herself work out, she finds inspiration in her brother, a state powerlifting champion.

“My brother got me interested in Fit-N-Wise because he’s always going up there,” she said. “He’s in really good shape and he motivates me to be fit.”

Fit-N-Wise not only offers the gym equipment, but different exercise groups such as Yoga, Spin classes and fast paced dances like Zumba.

“Wednesday nights I do Zumba,” Lampkin said. “In the mornings I usually do the treadmill and then the elliptical and then some lunges.”

Starting a new routine is the first step to making a change. Lampkin and Newville hope to express this to others interested in joining a gym.

“It’s really rewarding,” Lampkin said.