Uff Da

I just came back from my first ever workout with a trainer. I get two free sessions via my membership at Lifetime Fitness. I really prefer to swim. Probably because I know how to do that. Propel yourself through the water from one end of the pool to the other for long enough, and that is a workout.

I'm not a big fan of any kind of exercise classes, so organized workouts weren't an option for me. But, all that wonderful exercise equipment did nothing for me either since I had no idea where to begin.  So, I went ahead and scheduled a session with Meredith for today and one for two weeks from today.

Right at the start I expressed a desire to avoid running. I don't even want to do much on the treadmill. I have no arthritis in my joints and feel it would be foolish to rock that boat with repetative pounding at my age. So she put me on the stationary bike, went to  some weight lifting routines and squats, went back to the bike, more weights and lunges, some crunches on the ball, and back to the bike once more.

Now that was a workout. I am exhausted. It makes me think of the story of the guy who was told to exercise or he would die in two years. He did what they said and lived another 5 years, but three of those years were composed mainly of exercise.

So, is this really time well spent? The prevailing thought says yes, but how many other seemingly helpful ideas have we bought into? Not long ago both eggs and butter were considered diet no-no's. Now someone has (re) discovered they are good for you. (What? Natural foods that God gave to man from the beginning of time are good for the human body? Who would have thought?) What about poodle skirts and beehive hair-dos and zubaz? Someone once thought they were a great idea, too, but do you still see them around?

Most of the things I did today in the name of good health were not natural. Who lies on their back with heavy things that they bring together to the center of their body? Who pedals furiously to stay in one place? Who leans back on a giant ball and strains to reach the ceiling? Who thought this stuff up, anyway? Have we been sold another lie?

The real question is, how do I get out of session two?

Katherine