Did
I mention that a new gym opened in my little town in December? It's
an Anytime Fitness and it is very close to my house. Of course,
anywhere in a town of less than 10,000 people can be called close to
my house, but this is just down business 59/Richmond from my little
neighborhood out in the county.
They
have opened up in the old abandoned roller rink. The owner divided
the building once they got a good tenant and is finishing out the
rest of it for offices, as I understand, and have given it a completely new facade. Anyway, the gym takes up
less than half, I think, of what is the whole space in that old
building, though it does have the front section.
I'm
happy we finally have a regular gym here. I'm used to working out
and it is my main defense against the osteoporosis since I refuse to
take the meds. They increase your bone density but don't necessarily
increase your bone strength and the side effects are heinous. And
they are finding that women who have been taking those meds, are
still getting broken hips when they get older.
When
we first moved out here permanently I joined the gym at the junior
college but there were time restrictions on when non-students could
use it and I could never get myself over there during the allowed
times.
So,
the gym is smaller than I thought it would be. I signed up for 18
months pre-paid before the buildout. Small, but well equipped I
think. Right now, if I go late afternoon and am there when the
after-work crowd starts coming in, then it seems a bit crowded. I
imagine going very early gets the before work crowd. I'm lucky that
I have the flexibility to go mid-morning to early afternoon.
Actually,
the gym is open 24/7 with members having a little electronic gizmo
that unlocks the door and they are very security conscious with
cameras and everything but I'm not likely to go after about 5 PM.
Cuts into the cocktail hour...or two.
Anyway,
I know that participation will begin to taper off. I speculate on
which ones will cave after a couple of months. Like the lady next to
me on the treadmill who was ready to quit after less than 10 minutes.
Or the ones that use minimal weight on whatever machine. Or don't
really know how to use the machines. I wonder about the young women
who come in with their slim hips, flat stomachs, and long trim legs
who do half a dozen reps and then dick around with their iPhones
while they rest. None of them ever break a sweat.
I
still have to make myself go but once there I work out for at least
an hour and a half and I'm already feeling better, abs and back
getting stronger and leg cramps at night aren't bothering me.
This
is my goal.
Just
kidding. If you want to take a stroll down into grotesquery just do
an image search for female body builders. This one is tame.
my husband has a membership. he likes it as they're becoming more prevalent and he can find them in his travels for work. good for you.
ReplyDeleteif i have to drive to work out, i won't do it. luckily i can do some good for myself at home.
I've really thought about joining our local Y, but I know that I won't go often enough to make it worth it. I just need to get up off my butt & use the Gazelle that's in our spare room.
ReplyDeleteHmmm I hate fitness centers- there was a good one here once an all female center which rocked but they had to close because women, it turns out , are poor...The Y here is super stinky! I hate the judgement and competitiveness, and the shower room, it's all so demeaning and expensive. If you can go in the middle of the night that might be nice- no body else there would be appealing, maybe.
ReplyDeleteI hear you about the osteo drugs- they are questionable so whatever it takes to stave off that dilemma is great! The photo of that woman looks delicious... if you like sausage.
You know whose body I would like to have? Well, the female version, at least- Mick Jagger's! Damn! The man is still a snake.
ReplyDeleteThe female bodybuilders with the fake boobs look like aliens. And the coarse skin screams Lance Armstrong doping.
ReplyDeleteThat is great news...enjoy the gym...we have one close too but I tend to end up working out at home.
ReplyDeleteIt is too crowded.
Hugs
SueAnn
I have a problem with sweat and germs and use that as my excuse to avoid a gym. I do have a nice workout area in my basement...and do have trouble coming up with excuses to go down there...especially after I bought the TV which I mounted in front of the elliptical.
ReplyDeleteI have problems with gyms. I get a closed in feeling and can't stand the air.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy running with the dog, working in the garden, doing housework. I own a treadmill for those long rainy days or weeks, and will spend a good half hour pretending to walk.
Being outdoors does wonders to my psyche.
Aren't meds the worst? I mean the side effects. The doctors are all optimistic "Here! Have a pill!" they say and for the most part they tell you most of the side effects, but upon further research you find out all the facts. Makes me nash my teeth, ticks me off so much. The last set of meds they tried to give me they were worried I wouldn't like the weight gain or acne as most people don't - but I said physical appearance side effects don't bother me - but when I researched farther I found they were at risk to screw with my mental health. No thanks. I already went through night terrors with Lyrica, which they know - I don't need to get stuck in a suicidal depression tyvm. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about the osteo, but so happy you have the means and the wherewithal to get out and do something about it. Isn't the gym great? It's great you have one now. And you crack me up with your comment about weight gain on my blog - "So my bones don't eat my body" heehee Too true. I love our mini gym here, just one room, but it is part of our HOA and thus included in living here [like the pools/tennis courts] but has enough equipment to keep us busy even in inclement weather. I love to walk, but hate the cold, so treadmill it is. My favorite tho' is the bike. I can ride 10 miles while reading, nary a thought. To me that is a gift when the weather is nasty. Besides I can't balance a real bike anyway. ha!
And you are so right about the gym bunnies. I guess they use it as a hook up place? They'll fade away I am sure - and our little gym is the same with the newbies at the beginning of the year. Good for them, but I know come February they will be gone. Life gets in the way I suppose. I am just glad we are too small, with only the diehards [and me - the gimp :D], that we don't suffer gym bunnies so much.
So nice to see you. Thanks for hanging in there with me. Now I see I have a lot of catching up to do, eh? Hugs and love xoxoSkip
I'm not fond of the idea of going to gyms. I feel very self-conscious. I'm happy for you though. :)
ReplyDeleteMy nice, almost all young, tattooed weight lifting young guy gym changed hands; I don't care for the new clientiele. But, there is a new gym two blocks further along and I will stop in there when I come up for air.
ReplyDeleteAt the old gym I found the best time was 1 pm sharp. All the lunch time enthusiasts were gone and the next influx didn't start until close to three.
Don't know how true that would be for a more mixed clientielle venue.
LOL -- bodybuilders are always so scary looking. I do not understand why that is anyone's goal!
ReplyDeleteKudos to you for embarking on a fitness regime! I still need to figure out how to get fitness back into my life after leaving my gym in the states and stopping running here...
Good luck with the workout.Often it is nice to have flexibility with time.
ReplyDeleteGyms aren't my cuppa. (Well...to tell you true - exercise isn't my cuppa.)
ReplyDeleteBut if you're happy - I'm delighted for you. :)
That one is tame?!? Oh dear lord. As you know, I am all for a full range of gender expression, but holy moley. That much muscle on a woman seems, as you put it, grotesque. Buff, good. Hulkette Hogan, bad! :-P
ReplyDeleteCan you still roller skate at the fitness place. Probably not. Darn!
I wonder if the woman in the photo could have possibly gotten that way without steroids.
ReplyDeleteI miss those old roller rinks. They were a big part of my childhood. Some were just tents over a wooden floor.
Haha I love your aim!!!
ReplyDeleteI haven't stepped inside a gym for more than 28 years and back then it had similiar types skimping around in matching leotards and soxs ...
With you all the way about meds - the only real way to combat it is regular exercise - don't cave into the couch potato image.
hey, i guess it's a good thing to know that a new business has opened up. (the economy must be getting better!!) better to have a fitness center than another fast food place, eh??
ReplyDeletei've thought about joining one of those places...but...in the end, i tell myself i should just clean off the dust, and get on either my bike...or my exercise glider thingie!!
I LOVE the way you think, probably because it's so similar to the way I think. Don't take those meds! They are AWFUL. Exercise increases bone density but also protects your bones because plumped up, supple muscles can act as a cushion should you trip and fall.
ReplyDeleteI, too, would never choose to exercise in the evening. A good point about the cocktail hour, but it would also wake me up at the very time when I should be winding down.
One other suggestion as you age: try to gain a little weight. It really helps. I know it is not how you're built, but maybe a grass fed cheeseburger here and there. Yes? I say yes.