When his gym shut down in the spring of 2020 due to the pandemic, Mitchell Crocker lost more than a place to train—he lost a whole community. The 39-year-old IT professional from Missouri City, Texas, went to his local health club as much for the people and the camaraderie as for the workouts. Stuck at home, Crocker found both his physical and mental health suffering.
“I went through depression at the start of the pandemic,” says Crocker. “I’m a very social person. I liked going to the gym mainly because of the social aspect. My friends were there, and we’d work out and get healthy together. So when my gym closed, I lost that. I wasn’t working out, and I started eating more.”
Luckily, Crocker’s trainer, Justin Penny, had an alternative. An Onnit-certified coach, Penny pointed Crocker in the direction of the Onnit Tribe, a private Facebook group of Onnit fans. The Tribe serves as a support network for people working on their fitness and life goals. Members post messages, photos, and video to encourage one another and to share advice. They also enjoy entertaining each other, showing their senses of humor and socializing—and from that, a brother/sisterhood develops organically.
