I joined a gym

I joined a gym.

It is not a shiny chrome and glass gym. It is the equivalent of your neighborhood dive bar. It's the tiniest bit seedy. I would not be surprised to arrive one day to discover that it has burned to the ground because too many treadmills were plugged into the same outlet. Nevertheless, it is (relatively) clean and the equipment appears to be in decent shape. The other patrons seem to be a reasonable bunch. There is a large contingent of beefy, bald guys strutting around and a few middle-aged women (like me) who show up to use the elliptical machines.

Because I started at such a low level of fitness, I spent the first month exclusively walking on the treadmills until the gym owner badgered me into considering the ellipticals. I now divide my time between the two.

Despite what the gym owner thinks, that treadmill time was necessary for me to develop the habit of going to the gym. I needed a non-threatening workout that I didn't dread just to get me in the door. An hour strutting to my tunes was sufficiently motivating at first.

Additionally, about a week after I joined the gym, the coworker who recommended the place to me proposed an incentive bet that has also given me a push on my low-energy days. We both have the goal of getting in four workouts a week. It's a draw if we both meet or miss our goal; however, if one of us makes it and one doesn't, the 'loser' owes the 'winner' a beverage. So far, I am up 2-0-2. This little bet made me drive to the gym after work on Wednesday instead of rushing home to sit on the couch (which is what I really, really wanted to do).

Along with my weekly goal, I also have some long-term goals. I'd like to lose 30 pounds by my birthday—that works out to just over a pound a week. I'm on track with that. I'd like to drop two pant sizes so I can wear a former favorite pair on my birthday. That shouldn't require me to lose the full 30—so that's potentially achievable even if I fall short on the first goal. Finally, I'd like to be in shape enough so that when I attend a conference in Tahoe this summer, I can hike and bike without feeling like my lungs are trying to escape my body. That one theoretically doesn't require me to lose any weight at all, just increase my cardiovascular fitness.

It's only been a month and I have a famously bad track record when it comes to working out, so we'll see how all this turns out. If things go poorly, I will likely never mention this again.