A workplace can sometimes feel cold and unwelcoming, but every now and then, a genuine connection takes root.

So when one employee decided to befriend the office outcast, he discovered that there was actually a lot more to this guy than his colleagues gave him credit for.

And as their friendship bloomed, so too did his own personal wellness journey!

Read on for the full story.

I befriended a guy at work that a lot of people look down on and make fun of and it is changing my life.

There is a guy near my cubicle at work who is probably the happiest, most caring person I know from how I have interacted with him since he got hired a month ago.

I sat with him a lot to teach him his job, and he was assigned to the same team as me.

This guy isn’t exactly the most popular.

A lot of people have called him weird and made jokes about him. Even the head of the department has made comments about him while he was in earshot.

His unapologetic focus on wellness has made some people walk behind his back.

He is always staying active. He does yoga in the parking lot, and if he is tired on his lunch, he will sit on his car (not in it). Definitely a bit strange, but I don’t think he deserves to be treated that way for emphasizing physical and mental health.

But instead of ostracizing him even further, one colleague decided to pick his brain instead.

I am a bit overweight, so a week ago I asked him if I could join him and if he could help me exercise. It turns out he has a bachelor’s and a master’s in exercise science, which was super cool.

It turns out, this guy was a huge asset in helping him get into shape.

He taught me how to stretch properly and prepare for a run. We then ran, and I completed my first mile in under 10 minutes (I know this isn’t great), and a total of 3.1 miles with stops to stretch and to slow my heart rate down.

Running a 5K in segments was something I did not think possible. He let me set the pace and was super encouraging the entire way.

He also explained that his freshman year, he was overweight as well, and someone dragged him out and got him to exercise.

Soon the two settled into a bit of a routine.

Once we finished, he said I should join him again next Friday as that is his “recovery” day. I got home and felt amazing.

I then checked my messages, and this guy had made a custom workout plan for me for the next two weeks, with a note saying that after I accomplish that, he will see where I am and adjust it.

He could hardly believe just how much this new friend was willing to help him.

He also put in his notes that my short-term goals should be a half marathon and long-term should be a marathon.

I teared up a little that someone I barely knew was willing to put a lot of effort into and commit to getting me in shape.

Sometimes all it takes is one person who believes in you to make a positive life change.

What did Reddit think?

This commenter affirms that the author is doing much better with his fitness journey than he gives himself credit for!

When it comes to navigating interpersonal relationships, it’s best to think for yourself.

Everyone wins in this scenario!

If other coworkers actually bothered to get to know this guy, they might be pleasantly surprised too.

He’ll be forever grateful for a friendship that transformed his outlook, both on fitness and on life!

If you liked that story, check out this post about an oblivious CEO who tells a web developer to “act his wage”… and it results in 30% of the workforce being laid off.