A Safe Space to Grow: Starting the New Year Strong at The Experience Fitness & Mobility Studio

By Cesar A Reyes

The start of a new year has a way of making people look at their bodies differently. Gym memberships spike. Promises are made. Motivation is loud, shiny, and sometimes short-lived. Connor and Angeli Ryan-Lim see it every January, but they also see what happens after the noise fades.

“Our names are Connor & Angeli Ryan-Lim, and we own The Experience Fitness & Mobility Studio,” they say. What they’ve built in Hillcrest isn’t a place for quick fixes or punishing resolutions, but a space for people who want to move, heal, and grow in ways that actually last.

Connor grew up in West Virginia and Angeli was born and raised here in San Diego. After they married in 2016, they moved back west, excited to plant roots. What they didn’t expect was how hard it would be to find a gym where they felt comfortable walking through the door—together.

“When we moved to San Diego, we had difficulty finding a place to train where we both felt safe and part of a community as queer people,” they share. That feeling—the hesitation before opening the door, the scan of the room to see if it’s safe—was familiar. So instead of forcing themselves to fit into a space that wasn’t built for them, they made their own.

That decision became The Experience Fitness & Mobility Studio, a small gym with a big heart. “We are committed to providing a safe space for people in our community to train and work on their fitness and wellness goals, regardless of age, race, gender identity, sexual preference, or athletic ability,” they explain. But what happens inside can’t be summed up by a mission statement.

“We are so much more than a gym,” Connor says. “Everyone here is family to us. There is a lot of love in our little gym.” That love matters, especially when it comes to fitness. For many people, especially those in the LGBTQ+ community, gyms are loaded with baggage, locker room anxiety, and unwanted comments. There’s pressure to look a certain way or move a certain way, the fear of being judged before you even pick up a weight.

“So many of us have had negative experiences in gyms,” Angeli says. “Whether it’s being outed in a locker room, receiving unsolicited advice from a creeper, or just trying to live up to societal standards.” Those experiences don’t just stay in the past. They shape how people approach their bodies and their goals. They make starting again feel scary.

That’s why holding space matters. “It’s extremely important to hold space for our LGBTQ+ family in the fitness world,” they say. “There’s already a lack of inclusive spaces outside of nightlife in our neighborhood. We need more resources for our community to find family and wellness.”

As the new year begins, Connor and Angeli encourage people to rethink what a “fitness goal” actually means. It doesn’t have to be about shrinking, suffering, or proving something. “Take it one day at a time,” they suggest. “Old habits take time to break, and new habits take time to build.”

In their gym, success looks different for everyone. Sometimes it’s lifting heavier. Sometimes it’s learning how to stretch without pain. Sometimes it’s simply showing up after years of avoiding gyms altogether. “Be gentle with yourself,” they say. “Find joy in the process and the journey.”

They’ve watched members walk in nervous and guarded, unsure if they belong. Over time, those same people start to relax. They laugh between sets. They cheer each other on. They begin to trust their bodies again. That’s where real change happens—not in January hype, but in consistent, supported movement.

When asked to sum up what they do in one word, Connor and Angeli don’t hesitate. The WORD is Impact. “This word perfectly describes what we do,” they explain. “We leave an impact on our members’ lives and our community each day.”

That impact isn’t measured by before-and-after photos. It’s measured in confidence. In healing. In strength that shows up both inside and outside the gym. “We get to see our membership grow, heal, and get stronger together,” they say. “We get to show people love and patience.” And that care comes back around. “In return, these people have left such a lasting impact on our lives,” they add.

As people set new fitness goals this year, The Experience Fitness & Mobility Studio stands as a reminder that movement can be kind. Progress can be slow. And goals can be rooted in self-respect instead of shame. The new year doesn’t need a new version of you. Sometimes, it just needs you to take the first step into a space where you’re welcomed exactly as you are.