2007
he keeps her nose warm with his hand
maura @ 7:36 pm
I went to the gym today for the first time in over a week. And I feel GREAT! At least I did, until the crushing late afternoon tiredness hit me. But that’s why we have coffee, right?
Sigh, the gym: it’s been the subject of much recent brain activity for me. I’m kind of having crazy mood swings about it, actually.
I reupped my membership over the summer and nearly instantly regretted it. Mainly because of the cost: MAN, gyms are expensive. In the best of all possible worlds I can get there 3 days/week (more realistically it’s twice weekly). Aren’t there better things we should be spending that money on?
But then I relented. Over the past few years it’s become apparent that I feel much much MUCH better both physically and mentally when I get some real exercise on a regular basis, even with all the city walking. Going to the gym is an efficient way to exercise: 30 minutes of cardiovascular work + a few weight machines + stretching + getting there and home = about an hour.
BUT, besides the ca$h cost there’s the environmental costs of using a gym for exercise, and those have been weighing (har) on me lately. I could switch to swimming, but in the cold weather my skin already has a difficult time remaining on my body without adding chlorine to the mix, thank you very much. I could use a rowing machine, which I think only has a small battery for the display, much less energy hogging than the elliptical machine that I prefer.
Of course, I could just switch to an outdoor and free form of exercise, like running. And in fact I live right near a giant park! But I’m a wimp — it’s cold out, and I’d feel weird running with my iPod on because what if a car comes out of nowhere and I can’t hear it to get out of the way? Ditto biking: practically free (well, I’d have to get a bike, but that’s still much cheaper than the gym), but I’m a wimp: I certainly couldn’t iPod while biking, and cars are even more of an issue.
(As an aside, I do plan to get a bike at some point and use it for some very local transportation. At least until I get brave enough to ride someplace far and trafficy.)
Then there’s the time issue: when I get a job, will I ever have time to exercise? In a perfect world I’ll be working at a college with a gym near the library, and could nip over to the gym for a workout during lunch a couple times a week. But there’s no guarantees that will happen.
So I guess, for now, I’ll just stick with my current plan. And maybe the next time I go to the gym I’ll unplug my favorite machine and see how it handles all crunchy + green-like.
3 comments on “he keeps her nose warm with his hand”
One time I was waiting for a bus and this guy went jogging by. There was a little kid standing there with his mom, also waiting for the bus. He said “Mom! WHY is that man running?!”
She told him it was for exercise, but between us I think he was up to no good.
Yeah, I’ve heard the same thing about rowing machines as you have, Christina. They are MUCH more difficult than the elliptical so it must be true!
Anne, I always used to say “why run unless you are being chased?” But maybe that was because I got such bad shin splints when I tried out for cross country in high school.
Actually, my understanding is that the rowing machine offers the superior workout. Muscles groups used, etc. And you could totally run with an ipod in the park! It is car-free most of the time. ;) Speaking of which, I really need to get back to it. My knees are starting to make themselves felt when going down steps, and I am just WAY too young for that.