Get moving

Last June a visit to Wisconsin, land of cheese and beer, convinced me that I needed to increase my exercise and improve my diet if I wanted to continue to fit into my clothing. Right before the trip I had started making adjustments to my diet, reducing breakfast, adding fiber, and watching what I ate. Upon returning home I bought the previously mentioned Striiv pedometer, clipped it to my waistband and started walking. The result was a satisfying 15+ pounds lost and a general sense of well-being renewed.

Apart from the occasional last-minute push for just 500 more steps right before bed, the system worked well for me until pollution of January and February forced me to abandon my pedometer in search of other indoor fitness.  My fitness plan did not weather the move indoors quite so well. My visit to USU’s exercise facility was not motivating. The room was overcrowded with equipment and people that I didn’t recognize. It lacked windows and proper ventilation. Because of the cold which accompanied Logan’s bad air, I was not highly motivated to return to water aerobics. I did purchase a rower and started watching half-hour episodes of arrested development. This lasted until my knees and shoulders started hurting. All of this made January and February very inactive months for me.

This brings me to this morning’s quest to find an off-campus site that fit my schedule. Today’s two possible candidates were “Anytime Fitness” and “Curves.” Neither place was well-attended this particular day at 8 a.m. Anytime Fitness was actually locked to non-members. The pulsating beat of the music meant to “pump you up” was certainly not appealing and the all-male clientele didn’t seem to fit my demographic. It didn’t have the environment I was looking for.

Curves offered the opposite problems, having a woman only clientele and music that that it stuck in my head long after I left the gym. Most of the women doing the circuit were older and larger than I am. That being said, the 30-minute routine does appeal to my schedule.  What doesn’t appeal to me is that they want to sell diet and lifestyle in addition to fitness.  Ultimately, I think I could join if the place had a different name. At least they have windows and a fairly convenient location.

Ultimately I think my problem might be finding a routine and staying motivated. Exercise has never been something I’ve gravitated towards. In college, it only worked when I did it at the same time every day. After college, I included my husband in the mix, and that worked sometimes. Yoga was good when the kids were little and had dance lessons in the same location.  Water aerobics worked when I liked the instructor. Walking worked when the weather was consistent.  Now, I need to make another small adjustment.  Perhaps it’s more about committing to something for the short term, and seeing how it works out.

We evolved to be active beings. Hunting and gathering was replaced by farming and home-building. Passive work and repetitive computer use could not be good for beings like us. No wonder there is a near epidemic of back  and sleep related issues. The best of all possible plans would be to incorporate physical exercise and necessary activities together.  Walking worked to this end because it filled the role of transportation and responsible pet owner.  Gyms seem to always lack this feature for me. I have trouble making a trip to the gym fit a necessary function in my life. 

I wonder if anyone has come up with a gym for pet owners?