Friday, May 16, 2008

Trying the gym

I went on Tuesday for my introduction to paperwork. I also got weighed and measured. I tried not to weird out too much, but it was all done by another PTA mom whose had a daughter in J's class the last two years. She knows all the goods now.

By doing this, I am enrolled in a Bay.lor Univ study. It is four weeks of exercising three times a week and costs $30. I will be weighed and measured at the end, too. I am supposed to watch my diet and generally behave. I guess it being a study will make me take it more seriously. I went back yesterday and today to officially begin.

Their style of exercise is different than what I've experienced in the past. You're allotted 30 seconds on each of 13 machines. Then in between you do 30 seconds on a mat in which you just keep moving. The next machine is generally opposite muscles from the previous. You go around the circle of machines twice. They say it works, but nobody there looks like it works. I know, double edged sword there on the clientele being normal and not looking particularly fit.

I guess as a newbie I must waste a lot of time maneuvering. When I finally get set on the machine, I get about four reps before time is called and I have to transfer to a mat. I've begun sneaking in extra reps to reduce the stupid mat time, if nobody is behind me.

A different lady has been teaching me the equipment and following me around. She is very helpful, although I am finding it difficult to be chatty as I snake myself around the room.

While I figure I will appreciate some progress in these four weeks, I am not confident that the routine will feel exactly right. Of course, no exercise routine feels right to me, but a girly one isn't exactly my modus. Not that any kind is. Alas, I will figure this out in a few weeks. They'll give me the spiel in the third week.

3 comments:

Aunt Becky said...

Good luck, Cricket!

Anonymous said...

Just take it slow, don't overdo it, don't hurt anything, don't over expect from yourself in the beginning. Let time and work take its course.

Val said...

The secret is to find something you ENJOY (I'm sure you're heard that assvice B4!) & don't hurt yourself!
Unfortunately this morning I am feeling so run-down that I can't even get up the enthusiasm to RIDE, which feels like doom on such a pretty day...