Committing to Fitness
I have never been very dedicated when it comes to using a gym. But I have lately come to realize just how important weight-bearing exercise is. So I made a call to the local Sport & Health and bought a 3-year membership plus some grossly discounted personal training sessions.
We had been members of Skyline (as the S & H used to be called) for many years. It was almost as though we thought having all those yearly membership stickers on our car rear window was accomplishing what could only be achieved by hours of sweat and hard work.
About 5 years ago I came up with the bright idea of dropping our membership and putting a home gym in our basement. We hired a trainer to help us pick out the equipment and to get us started.
But there has never been much appeal to going downstairs amid the boxes of a lifetime, turning on the boombox, and working out. I have been fairly good about using the elliptical machine, but the stationary bike and the Hoist gym haven’t been overused.
I actually negotiated a price for my husband and myself that is below what we used to pay. I guess gyms are as hungry as any other facility for new members.
I just found out that my personal trainer will be Emily, who comes highly recommended by the fitness coordinator. I warned him that I was old and slightly broken down and in pretty lousy shape. So Emily has been forewarned.
My goal is to ultimately learn a method of weight training called SuperSlow. It was designed for people with osteopenia or osteoporosis. Hopefully it will build up my strength and even my bone mass.
The real question remains as to whether I will make good on my portion of the monthly $60 gym membership fee. I sincerely hope to do more than just sport a decal on my window this time. I need someone to crack the whip so I don’t wimp out. Maybe fitness will become a habit. Who knows?
posted by Barbara at 3:27 PM
9 Comments:
Good for you!
Emily is a "he"?
I think making appointments is a good way to keep on track. If you find classes you like at the gym, that'll help, too. Maybe a workout buddy? (You can encourage each other.) And, finally, try an exercise journal. Logging progress can be motivating in and of itself.
If any of these things work for you, let me know and I may try them. ;)
LA -- No, HIM refers to the fitness coordinator. I am fully assuming Emily is a SHE.
Do you think if I turned this into an exercise Blog, I would be motivated to keep coming up with something to write about? :)
I'm sure you are much more committed than I can ever hope to be.
I used to do weights. I worked out all the time and was in the best shape of my life. But that was about ten years ago. I look like it was about ten years ago. I plan to resume my gym habit just as soon as I finish trashing my body with other activities.
I walk over to S&H most mornings at 8:30. I'm too cheap to use a trainer, but I'd love to add weights to my routine. And there's a coffee shop across the street. Look forward to seeing you there.
Cyndy -- Building a house must involve a lot of heavy lifting. Maybe you can join a gym after the housewarming!
KC -- I would love some company while pumping iron. The coffee could be our reward. How enticing! Now I just need to meet Emily and get started.
As lacochran said, a workout buddy might be a good solution. My friends who have trouble getting motivated say it helps a lot to have someone expecting them at the gym. (Emily will serve that purpose too, at first.)
For me, it's always worked to just make it part of my routine. On certain days at certain times, it's gym time. You know?
Steve -- I'm already saying YES YES YES, but realistically knowing how easy it is for me to backslide. Hopefully my very fit friend KC will inspire me to show up with a cup of coffee as a reward for our efforts!
I loved belonging to a gym, especially the one that had such a beautiful pool, but when we started doing our split lives, it just got too costly. One thing I used to do was prorate my per-time cost by how many time I went. The first time was most expensive, "Gee, this cost me 100 dollars to come today." The second time only cost me fifty. By the time I was down to five dollars a time, I felt pretty good about it all (of course those extra seratonin levels didn't hurt either). I also looked at the shower I took at the gym as cutting my water/water heating bill, which in California is a substantial savings.
And, as we chatted about, on those days when you're waffling -- remember how much better your mental, emotional, and spiritual health will feel afterwards if you go work out...I'll help support you in this endeavor from afar!
F.
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