Working the Workout

I joined a gym. I didn’t actually join a gym yet; I’m sampling them. Most gyms offer trial memberships for at least a week so you can see if you like them. I’m on my second trial. It’s not that I don’t WANT to join a gym. I’d love to! There’s nothing like that feeling of ownership; like you really belong someplace. But free is free and, when you’re unemployed, shopping for the best deal can be a pleasure as well as a necessity. There are three things I’m looking for: location, price and amenities. According to my husband, if it isn’t close, we won’t go. According to me, if it isn’t cheap, I won’t go. If it isn’t fun, neither of us will go.

We found one that was really cheap but too far away. We were halfway there when we decided to stop for a hotdog and go to the movies instead.

We found one closer to home but it’s more expensive and is missing one of the machines I like: the one for the abs where you sit in the chair and twist your body against the weights. The owner of the gym says they don’t have it because it is bad for your back. I ask you, is any sort of weightlifting actually good for your back? And I don’t understand how a person can lift too much weight. Isn’t that an oxymoron?

Anyway, this gym has racquetball and child care, classes, showers and a sauna. I don’t play racquetball and have no small children. The classes are held during peak hours, either too early in the morning or “after work”. But I do love the sauna. There’s no clock in the sauna so I stay in it until my skin starts to hurt. Then I try to get out without moving so as not to hurt myself any more. I love the red glow and the waxen look of my face when I come out of the sauna. But, at four times the price of the one that’s too far away, is it worth it?

I found another place with 2 branches nearby. These are “convenience” type gyms, designed for the quick in and out. There are no showers, no dressing rooms, no classes… You sweat and run. This place does have one feature I love; an exercise bike with a built in video game where you can race virtual riders. The onscreen bike paths are very narrow but you can’t fall off! I tried! I made a sharp right, ready to fly off this cliff, die and have to start over again, but my bike just kept going. You can’t do that in real life. I’ve been working up a great sweat and having fun there all week, but it is August. What’s going to happen to all this sweat in January?

There are a few more gyms to try and then I suppose we’ll have to make a decision: the sauna or the video game; the price or the convenience? It’s a dilemma.