An ice cave in Alaska is a pretty good place to make a life decision.

Around 2010, Elizabeth and Ben were hiking to an iceberg when their guides told the group they had made good enough time to explore an ice cave. It wasn’t an opportunity every group received. The guides had to decide whether everyone could move fast enough to complete it safely.

Elizabeth and Ben made the cut.

That experience helped them define what they wanted from fitness. They didn’t want physical limitations to decide which experiences they could have.

“We want to be in shape so we never miss out on things like that,” Ben said.

Most importantly, they wanted to be able to adventure for the rest of their lives.

Finding a Routine They Would Actually Keep

Elizabeth found Studio ME after she and Ben moved to Northeast Minneapolis. She was starting a full-time desk job and knew how easily her days could become less active.

“I wanted to create healthy habits and find something that I would stick with,” she said.

She started Googling gyms, stumbled across Studio ME and discovered there was a Groupon. That got her through the door.

"Seven Studio ME Fitness members flexing and laughing in front of the studio's corrugated metal wall and orange 'ME' logo sign, in workout gear after a training session."

Ben had actually encouraged Elizabeth to find a fitness routine she would enjoy. Once she started taking classes and told him how much she liked them, he decided to join her.

Before Studio ME, they had participated in several runDisney events, including 5Ks, 10Ks and half marathons. They also tried workout DVDs, which Elizabeth admits are pretty funny to think about now.

They were moving, but there wasn’t much structure behind it.

“Nothing we were doing followed a plan or had progress in mind,” Elizabeth said.

What they needed wasn’t another random workout. They needed a consistent schedule, a variety of exercises and coaches who could teach them how to train without getting hurt.

Learning to Do Hard Things

Elizabeth says consistency was her first goal, and it’s still her goal today.

“I want to keep showing up for myself, continue to feel strong and be able to do all the things I want to do in life,” she said. “There might be smaller goals that follow different seasons of life, but the most important thing is feeling strong.”

When she started, most of what we do at Studio ME was unfamiliar. Rowing, kettlebells, TRX and barbells were all new territory.

Today, she feels comfortable performing those movements and confident that she can learn something new when it comes along. She also appreciates having coaches who can offer alternatives based on what her body needs that day.

"Smiling woman in glasses and a black Lululemon tank standing in the Studio ME gym, with squat racks, weight plates, and a colorful mural in the background."

The result is bigger than learning how to use a kettlebell.

Elizabeth now has greater body awareness and more confidence that she can do hard things.

Ben’s goals contain slightly more rowing.

After seeing the rowing challenge plaque at Studio ME, he decided he wanted his name on it. His work schedule hasn’t always cooperated with that mission, but he hasn’t given up.

His current coaching cue to himself is simple: “Gotta row faster. ROW FASTER!”

Today, Ben can row 100 meters in 13 seconds (and can also box jump 4 boxes!).

in a pink shirt mid-jump onto a stacked plyo box in the Studio ME gym, with a coach in a gray tank and a woman in maroon leggings watching nearby, rowers visible in the background."

More Than a Place to Work Out

The strength and fitness gains matter, but Elizabeth and Ben say the Studio ME community has become an equally important part of their experience.

Ben appreciates that Studio ME has maintained its community feel even as the gym has grown.

“We have bonded with other members, and everyone is friendly and caring,” he said.

Elizabeth loves that there is no ego and everyone is welcome. She is grateful for the people they have met and the support they have received.

“Keep showing up, make friends and consider Studio ME an investment in your social, emotional and physical health,” she said. “It’s the real deal.”

Ben can trace many of the friendships he has made in the neighborhood back to people he met through the gym. He says the coaches and other members brighten his day whenever he comes in for a workout.

"Ben (back left, in a floral cycling jersey and helmet) and Elizabeth (front, in an olive tank and helmet) smiling with a group of fellow cyclists outside Studio ME Fitness, in front of a colorful mural reading 'We Coach People.'"

For Elizabeth, Studio ME has helped her create lifelong friendships alongside a fitness routine that feels sustainable and healthy.

That combination matters. A workout routine is much easier to maintain when the people around you notice when you arrive, support you when something feels difficult and make you want to come back.

Training for the Life Ahead

Elizabeth and Ben don’t view their Studio ME membership as a short-term project. They see it as a long-term commitment to their health and the life they want to keep living.

Their advice for someone thinking about getting started is refreshingly honest.

Studio ME will give you coaching, options and support. You will become more capable. You will meet good people.

But the workouts are still going to be hard.

“That’s the funny thing about working out,” Elizabeth said. “It never gets easy.”

You simply become more confident in your ability to handle hard things.

It feels fitting that Elizabeth and Ben sent us their answers from Paris. The goal was never just to complete workouts inside a gym. It was to build a life with more strength, more friendships and more opportunities to say yes when the next adventure appears.

Congratulations, Elizabeth and Ben, on being our August Members of the Month. We’re grateful you found Studio ME, and we can’t wait to see where your strength takes you next.