I have a lot of health issues and joint damage, so I have to be careful with exercise. I have to increase exercise gradually or it bites me in the butt with symptom flares and pain.
For the month of October, our YMCA is running a "passport to fitness" program. You're given a "passport" that lists 12 or 13 countries, and 3 or 4 exercises are listed under each country. To get your passport "stamped" you have to do 30 minutes of one of the listed exercises. You need to do 12 different exercises, on 12 different days, from at least 6 different countries.
Participants who complete the challenge get a sweatshirt. I really want that sweatshirt.
Until today, I had been choosing water exercises and treadmill work to get my stamps. Today I decided to try the elliptical machine (to get my Norway stamp).
I knew about 10 minutes in, that it was probably a mistake, but I didn't want to give up and have to do 30 minutes of a different activity, so I stuck with it. By 15 minutes, I was in real trouble, but if I gave up, I wasn't going to get "my stamp" (I was so tired already that I knew I had no hope of completing 30 minutes of another activity), so I slowed down, but kept going, deciding I was going to make those 30 minutes, come heck or high water.
I made my 30 minutes, but had to call for help (thankfully my husband had just gotten off the stationery bike in front of me). He had to help me get off the machine and walk to the lounge area. My legs were so weak, I didn't think they were going to hold me up.
Usually after exercise, we play around in the pool a bit and then go to the hot tub, instead we left the gym in our workout clothes and went straight home.
I'm STILL having trouble walking. It feels like my legs could give out at any time.
On one hand, I'm super proud that I did finish those 30 minutes (even if it felt like it was going to kill me).
On the other hand, I know it was an idiotic thing to do - especially if it keeps me from exercising tomorrow or Tuesday (the day after the day after always seems to be the worst).
What's even "dumber" is that towards the end, I was thinking of all those "Biggest Loser" style shows, and thinking "it won't kill me to keep going," even though I hate those shows for that very reason - I think a lot of people on those shows and those emulating what they see on those shows could get hurt.
I just never thought it would be me, because I thought I knew better (I DO know BETTER)!
... and if I'm willing to nearly kill myself, going against my better judgement for a darned sweatshirt, what would I do for a quarter of a million dollars?
And worst of all: I STILL WANT THAT DAMNED SWEATHSIRT!!!!!!!
(I do think I can get the sweatshirt without killing myself, but I am going to be more careful at the gym).