Rabat – Nihal went to the gym for the first time in 2019. She barely lasted a month before quitting. She had no clear goal, and she didn’t enjoy the process. What began with excitement ended with disappointment.
Years passed, and she never thought of going back. At the end of 2024, something shifted. This time, she walked into the gym with a different mindset and a set of clear objectives.
She knew that moving her body wasn’t optional; it was a necessity. Staying inactive, she realized, could only lead to consequences later in life: obesity, muscle weakness, even mental health struggles.
Youth, after all, is fleeting. In the blink of an eye, we grow older. Aging is inevitable, but whether we grow strong or weak, fit or sick, depends largely on what we do today.
“When I grow old, I want to be fit as a fiddle. I don’t want to be dependent on anyone, sick, or struggling to move,” Nihal said. Age might just be a number, but it’s up to us to make it count.
And she’s not wrong. Research backs her up. Exercise plays a vital role in preventing and managing chronic illnesses that affect longevity. While aging naturally weakens the immune system, making older adults more vulnerable to disease, those who maintain regular, high-intensity activity often enjoy protective health benefits. And it’s not just about the body.
Studies show that exercise helps keep the brain young, too, slowing cognitive decline and supporting sharper memory, focus, and processing as the years go by.
Discipline over excitement
Armed with that awareness, Nihal was ready to try again. At first, enthusiasm carried her through, but by the end of the first week, it began to fade, just like in 2019. Would she quit again?
Not this time. It was the same scene, but the details had changed. With her new mindset and clear goals, nothing could shake her determination. Rarely did she feel excited about heading to the gym, but excitement was no longer in control, discipline was.
She showed up, even when she didn’t feel like it. And every session rewarded her with a rush of accomplishment, a spark of energy, and the quiet pride of pushing her body further. Laziness turned into consistency. Fatigue turned into satisfaction. What once felt like a burden became pride, happiness, and fresh motivation.
And what Nihal feels after every workout isn’t just in her head; science proves it. Exercise doesn’t only counteract the damage of chronic stress; it also lifts mental health.
Research shows that physically active people have lower rates of anxiety and depression, thanks in part to the release of mood-boosting chemicals like dopamine and serotonin.
Exercise even trains the body to handle stress better, helping people manage anxiety and panic by recreating stress-like reactions in a safe, controlled way, just like Nihal does every time she pushes through, turning effort into strength.
Weeks turned into months, and before she knew it, Nihal had spent over 10 months consistently at the gym. The changes began to show, inside and out.
Physically, Nihal could feel her body growing stronger. She was lifting heavier weights, noticing definition in her shape, and carrying herself with more energy than before. But the real transformation went beyond muscle.
Every workout left her with that dopamine high, the rush that makes you forget the effort. Satisfaction started replacing doubt, and her confidence grew with each small victory.
She no longer saw exercise as a duty but as a tool that improved her entire life. “I feel strong, like I can achieve anything I want, no matter how challenging it is, and that’s not only in sport, but in every aspect of life,” she said to MWN.
And that strength, that discipline, didn’t stay in the gym. It began to spill into every corner of her life. Decisions felt clearer, goals felt possible, and obstacles no longer felt paralyzing. What she practiced in training (patience, effort and persistence) started shaping the way she approached everything else.
Advice and takeaways
When asked what she would tell someone just starting, Nihal’s words were simple, “Just start. Don’t wait for the perfect conditions, use what you have. What matters is not excitement but discipline, and having clear objectives.”
Her message is clear: anyone can begin, but lasting change comes when you combine determination with a plan, and when you treat your body with respect in every area of life.
Her story is not about chasing perfection, but about finding power in discipline and rediscovering what the body and mind are capable of. Her story shows that strength and confidence are not sudden; they’re shaped day by day, through persistence and small victories.
