Ratting Me Out

-
I’m in love with the gym again, and this time it’s different. I’m not shopping for cute outfits at The Sports Authority, hoping the hot looking Lycra fools folks into believing I can’t be the woman who fell on her face during step aerobics or broke wind in the middle of yoga.

No, now I dress like everyone else at my gym – strictly for comfort. Here, only effort counts. So now I count on warming up on the rowing machine, especially if someone’s next to me that I can try to “out row.” Then it’s on to the stationary bike, where I try not to be discouraged that peddling steadily around 100 RPMs on Level 6 only burned 200 freakin’ calories. Lately, the cardio’s been followed with a few core exercises done by everyone in the family. The Nautilus machines are next. Now that I’m weaning myself from the crutches, my biceps and triceps need more attention. I’m working up to one of those spin classes, too, though at the moment just looking into the room intimidates me.

Of course, I really look forward to trying out the treadmill -- the same machine that I’ve actively avoided since moving to San Diego. I’m sure the sweat will quickly accumulate while I repeatedly inhale stale, musty air and try not to glance at the console or the battle-ready soldier working out next to me. [We belong to a gym on a military base.] I’ll probably instantly obsess about needing to use the bathroom. Followed, no doubt, by fantasies of an ice-cold water bottle about 15 minutes into it. Gee, I already feel a cramp coming on.

Yeah, I can’t wait for that kind of discomfort. Especially if it burns more than 200 freakin’ calories.

Popular posts from this blog

I Leave You With This

-
Image
There's this social media post some guy put up on Instagram. I almost scrolled past it, but I'm glad I didn't. It asked what question we should ask ourselves when we die. In retrospect, ChatGPT's response was basically pulling from Eastern philosophy, but, still, I couldn't stop thinking about it in the hours and days since I first heard it. Here's a partial transcript I cribbed using -- what else? -- AI. Some guy set up the prompt, which was long and convoluted. The following picks it up from there.  Some guy : I'm assuming most people would ask, 'Where am I going? What's next?' Something like that. Is that a good question?  ChatGPT : No, because they don't matter. Some guy : W hy don't they matter?  ChatGPT : If there's a heaven or hell or some next phase, you're likely already heading there. Asking won't change your destination. It's a wasted question.  Some guy : That's a good point. Um, what about 'Did I do en...
Read more

What's Your Slavery Footprint?

-
I just came across an app that immediately intrigued me because it brings awareness to something way too often overlooked in this country. It's called The Slavery Footprint , and I found out about it this morning courtesy of this post . Living in California, and traveling regularly through the Central Valley where a bulk of everyone's U.S.-bred fruits and nuts are produced, I became keenly aware of how poorly farmhands are treated in this country. I even blogged about it several years ago . Some of us tend to feel morally superior because of the foods and lifestyle choices we make. After taking this "test," perhaps that piety will recede a bit. After you take it, you can share your score if you wish. Personally, I'm embarrassed by mine.
Read more

Do Mom and Dad Make You Run?

-
I know of a lot of middle-aged running friends who are motivated by their parents to run. Their mother or father was in poor health for many years and it ultimately cost them their lives (or at least a higher quality of it), and so one reason they initially put on a pair of running shoes was to avoid the same fate. However, that's not the sort of parental connection outlined in a provacative post about the link between exercise and genetics in this morning's Daily Beast. It reflects a couple of scientific studies that show we may be genetically encoded to favor workouts. That means some of us will never enjoy exercising like others, nor will our children. If this is true, then those of us modeling good behaviors by eating well and exercising in moderation may merely be passing along the endorphin baton to those with our "exercise gene." And that might also explain why some parents who push their kids into sports end up disappointed that their child never "takes...
Read more