I am getting ready for the gym. I haven’t gone more than twice in the last 10 months, but now that the exercise has to move more indoors I will have to work in bringing it into the lifestyle. One of the reasons I don’t like to go is that it is the health club on campus, and in my mind it has become associated with work. It is convenient, but I don’t want to work out with students and colleagues - some people I just don’t want to see me in shorts. So I am considering one of the other options in town - there are a few, all further away from my house, and each has different features:
Curves, of course, an all women environment is comforting but I hear it is very social and I am not too keen on chatting while I sweat.
Good Life, which apparently has a big facility and lots of classes. I am somewhat interested in that, but I know that at least 2 exes go there too, and I am not sure I could cope with running into either him or him.
The Y, which has lots of stuff but also lots of kids programs and I am becoming a grouchy old lady around youngsters.
Two hotels offer ‘club’ membership for exercise and their pools and one has a gorgeous water spa, whirpool and sauna set up too. That sounds very tempting for the winter. When I have been there I see it gets used a lot by seniors. The downside is it is fully visible from the hallway leading to the meeting rooms and banquet area.
Maybe I will tour some of them over the next couple of weeks and make a decision. In the meantime I have to start moving again, I want to go someplace warm and sunny this year with my sister who has lost over 100 lbs and now wears smaller clothes than I do. I am proud of her, but sibling rivalry will not allow that to continue uncontested!
November 26th, 2008 at 9:16 am
Don’t let the meeting crowd deter you from the hotel gym option if that’s a good fit otherwise. Those people are wishing they had time for the gym or thinking about how much they’d like to take a break there or thinking guiltily about how long it’s been since they’ve been in a gym (or just looking at their blackberries!) They are NOT thinking about your thighs or why you can ‘only’ lift 15 lbs or anything else remotely connected to YOU.
we recently joined a gym that’s in a hotel in our neighborhood and what’s great is that you’re pretty anonymous because they have so many of the hotel guests in the place (I’m not a social gym person either) and the place is really clean and pretty, and never too crowded.