[OneKim]

OK...I haven't been posting for quite awhile, don't even know if any of y'all will remember me. But, I HAD to come where I know people will understand, or at least commiserate a bit...hehe. Bless his heart, my husband didn't laugh at me, but I'm sure he was dying to...lol.

So, I joined a gym about a month ago...mainly for the unlimited tanning (works wonders for eczema) but I've gone twice with hubby now...first time to tan while he worked out, and today the wait for tanning was too long, so I decided to hop on a treadmill. Place was PACKED...we had to wait for machines. I'd never been on one. So, I took a few moments to get used to it, upped the incline and speed...did 15 minutes, broke a sweat, had to get off after 15 cause hubby has to teach tonight. Anyways, I hit stop on the machine...turned around to get off, fully expecting it to STOP...hence the stop button. It didn't stop!!!!!! I oh so gracefully (cause southern women are graceful always, right?) landed right on my behind!

Luckily I was in the back row, so I'm repeating that over and over...only a few people saw. Hubby's asking 'are you ok, are you SURE you're ok?' Of course one skinny girl saw me and laughed...yeah...I wanted to throttle her, but what do ya do? She was prolly all of 16. I didn't even have the presence of mind to wipe the machine down, I walked straight out! Mortified!!!!!!

OK, sorry that was so long. I told hubby in the car that I can't be the only one to have done that....lol...please tell me that's true?

Commiseration girlies...lol...that's all I need here!

Thanks,
Kim

[drake3272004]

I have to admit that I've almost fallen off my cross trainer trying to get a drink because I didn't want to stop! But I work out at home, so not quite as embarassing. I did manage to break my husband's glass top chess game because it was sitting on the floor and something fell off the bookshelf, which is next to the cross trainer I felt so bad! Stupid apartment floors vibrate!

[OneKim]

That would suck to break something...lol. Yeah, embarrassing, but not in front of a whole gym...I'd trade a big bruise or scratch from falling at home over all the people at the gym...but yes, that does make me feel better...I'm not the only one...hehe.

Hey, at least I get to confide in a friend at work! We went out to dinner one night, and decided to go to the mall, so she stopped by her house to change her boots since it was icy out and she didn't want to fall...lo and behold, AFTER she changes into tennis shoes, on her way back to the car she slips and falls right in front of me...lol. I guess I can tell her about this to ease her embarrassment...lol.

Thank you Canfield...it helps to know!

Kim

[kaplods]

I was getting out of the pool, and the rung on the ladder broke, cutting my foot, and falling back into the pool (BIG SPLASH). It turned out the lifeguards knew the ladder was cracked, so they were very apologetic to me, and administered first aid to the foot (I wanted them to just leave me be, but they insisted).

[Justwant2Bhealthy]

Well Kim, I also fell on a treadmill, but thank God, it was only in my own home. I saved and saved and purchased this large electronic treadmill thinking I could walk this weight off in the privacy of my home. One day when DH had gone out, I decided to see how much I could do; I even set it on the lowest possible speed.

I don't think I was on it for more than five minutes; when it suddenly had a jolt of speed, catching me totally off guard, and down I went ... right flat on my face; and the key string which is supposed to dislodge itself and auto- turn-off the machine was still attached to me; with the thing still running. I had some bad knee-burn that day, but the worst of it was that is scared me so badly, that I haven't been on it since.

DH and I figure it was just a little beyond me yet; so now I just do regular walking and ski-walking for now. We stored the treadmill with all the other equipment I have (almost enough to start my own gym) until I am truly ready to use them. So now, I always recommend to people if they have never tried the equipment, to go to a Y or a gym and try them out first before you spend a pile of money on something that you aren't able to use yet.

The embarrassment was really only mine; personal pride hurt, and the fact that I spend all that money on something I can't use right now. But hey, I kept it; and I'm hoping that someday when I lose another fifty+ lbs that I can give it another whirl. I feel for you Kim; out in the public was worse, but we know we have a good sense of humor when we can laugh at ourselves and lifes' unexpected surprises. Go with it Kim and have a big, big belly laugh! A fellow encourager ... Rosebud.

[OneKim]

Ouch kaplods! I hope your foot turned out ok...yeah, that would be embarrassing. At least the lifeguards helped you out.

Rosebud, I was scared of something like that happening to me...I'd even told my husband quite a few times that I wanted to go and figure out what I was doing when it was extremely slow, so in case anything like that happened..here I was feeling all proud of myself for getting through it and BAM...lol. I laughed, so I wouldn't cry. I really just hope this hasn't set me back on the 'I'm going to the gym' thing...it was hard enough to get on the thing in the first place cause of that lack of confidence issue.

I can imagine the treadmill thing scaring you...to have it set and then it take off...that would get the best of us! Hope you recover from that and get back on it! I wish I had room in my house for one My elliptical is stuffed in a closet right now till we get more room somewhere!

Thanks for sharing y'alls mishaps!

Kim

[Lydia227]

Hi Kim,

Welcome to the gym. Now that you have had this little "experience" you can go back with pride because you have just been appropriately initiated!

I do recall a strange day when two people fell from the treadmills within ten minutes of each other. They were both running side by side. The first one lost their stride and flew off landing on her bottom. That seemed odd enough but sometimes it just happens. Moments later the member on the treadmill right next to her did the same thing. I started to wonder if they had just greased the belts or something and decided to call it a day before I was next.

Things like this just happen to all of us. Please don't let it discourage you from going back. For one thing, I couldn't even tell you the next day who the two people were who fell. And secondly, I have my own list of embarrassing moments too numerous to share. Really. I wouldn't know where to begin. I've been known to trip on the flat carpeting at my gym just walking from the drinking fountain...

Be careful out there. The carpet might be waiting for you too.

[BlueToBlue]

I am forever doing stuff like that. Once I managed to walk into a wall so hard I broke the skin on my forehead and had a bump (in my defense, it was dark--I was trying to get from the kitchen to the bedroom at night without turning on a light).

Recently I managed to badly bump my upper arm on the dryer door when moving clothes from the washer to the dryer (we have a front-loading washer, so the dryer sits on top of it). I hit the dryer door so hard, my arm hurt for two days and I had a bruise for a week. We were traveling the next day and my arm hurt so much I let the little old lady shuttle driver carry my suitcase on and off the shuttle for me. I'm 38, in great shape, I work out every day and do weights 3 days a week, and I totally let this 60 year-old woman carry my bag. It was pathetic but dammit, my arm hurt!

I consider every day that I get on and off that treadmill without mishap a miracle. Every time I see someone fall like you, I think, "there, but for the grace of God, go I..."

[Grumbleworts]

Well, I haven't done that, but I have managed to accidently stick my water bottle up my nose while on the elliptical, and once, in my college apartment, I was going for that one...last...rep while doing pilates and there was a gas leak. fortunately it was just my 2 roomies with me that day, and they thought it was hilarious.

[BerkshireGrl]

My gym moments of glory:

* Putting my water bottle to my mouth while on elliptical, missing, pouring large splash on teeshirt. Observed later, I hoped it looked like my sternum just got really sweaty. (Check out that girl there, look at that buff sternum! Yowsa!)

* Trying NordicTrack cross-country ski machine for 1st time, strapping in with velcro belt even, starting ok, then feet fly backwards and I fall forward, belt makes large RIPPING opening sound. People stare, I blush. Best part is, I can cross-country ski just fine, but NordicTracks puzzle my feet

* Rowing my Walkman cord underneath the seat on a rower; just like spaghetti around a fork.

* Getting bum sweat grooves after using the recumbent bike for an intense half hour, that show up great on the light purple capris I was wearing, and finding out from my roomie... having to cover up bum sweat with my jacket even though it was winter outside. Now I stick with dark colors in my pants!

* Falling sideways off treadmill, into rails, just because my balance likes to check out sometimes. I hope I was at least on an incline or something.

* Getting into a Nautilus weight machine, forgetting to switch pin in weight stack, straining to bench press 300 pounds left by He-Man that just left, wondering what the &%* is wrong with me.

I'm sure there are more... you are not alone!

[djs06]

Kim, it's truly a wonder I haven't fallen off the treadmilll!

hehe, this is a great thread.. I love reading about people's little mishaps, lord knows I've had plenty!

Actually a few weeks ago, I stuck my favorite sweatshirt next to the treadmill as I was working out.. as the incline increased, the shirt got STUCK and jammed the machine, and I almost fell flat on my face! I tried to be nonchalant about pulling it out.. but it was SOOO STUCK! It took three big burly men pulling while i stood on the treadmill to rip the dang thing out , and it was completely ruined. SOB! hahaha... yeah, that was a 15 minute production and people were really giving me funny looks. Whoops!

[Ilene]

OMG love the stories here...

I've bumped into weight machines.... Drank someone elses water .... and yes, last but not least, fell of the treadmill...

Be proud and walk away with your head held high and get back on that

[Gladdy]

I do a lot of clutzy things at the gym, but the clutziest happened last fall while I was walking a fast couple of miles outdoors. I was in the city downtown, and tried to avoid some clowns on the corner. Yes, clowns, real clowns, in costume and with obnoxious horns and annoying balloons. I dodged the circus by walking quickly and agilely~or so I thought~ around them...and walked right smack into a fire hydrant. Oh my Lord, did my shin hurt! There is still a sort spot where I hit my shin. Thankfully, no one thought I was part of the act!

[futurepixie]

i have fallen off the treadmill, and I have poured water all over myself.

the best was my first pilates class. you know how you do a lot of ab squeezing? well someone in class pooted so loud and violently that i thought it was a gunshot for a second and cried out and then busted out laughing. How immature of me! I never went back.

and then there was the time i went to yoga without my mat, and my bellybutton stuck to the floor and made a suction cup noise when I went to get up. Gah!

This si why I work out at home now.

[2frustrated]

These are great!

Falling over and stuff really doesn't bother me. I haven't done anything silly in the gym but kickboxing class sometimes brings about a gas leak when I'm concentrating on ab movements

Also, this one time we did a spinning kick. So a kick off the back leg, then put it down in front, spin on the leg you just put down and kick with the other leg. I attempted to do this rather fast and just forgot to put the first leg down after the first kick - I landed smack on my butt with a loud shriek!