IRMO, S.C. — The year 2022 will be another trip around the sun and a chance for some people in Irmo to get back into the gym or lace up their running shoes for the first time.
Pumping iron and running the race that is life is all just part of this year's New Year's resolutions for some. They're just starting a week early.
That includes brother and sister Terriauna and Isaiah Bennett of Irmo.
"This year I just want to work on myself, like being to myself and bettering myself, so that started with me being healthy. So I want to bulk up, get in better shape," Isaiah said.
"You don't want to start the year and you won't want to be in the same place you were the last year. You want to have a new plan so you can keep moving forward in life. You won't want to be stuck in one place," Terriauna said.
These two are adding to the pool of people turning on their treadmills early.
"This week, of course, some of the New Year's resolutions have already begun, so people are getting an early start this year," said Radley West, owner of Anytime Fitness. "Probably has something to do with COVID, who knows, but we've already seen an uptick in people coming in for memberships and things."
West said she's seen attendance up about by about 50%.
Normally, they have about 100 members, but over the last four days, that number has been closer to 150.
And with COVID on the rise, West said staying fit is a great option to kick the pandemic to the curb.
"It's very important to take care of your health. We actually find that a lot of the members that have been coming consistently through COVID are a lot less likely to get sick because their immune system is stronger," West said.
Another pandemic year is over as we press into a fit future.