2024, books, Fitness, Games, Mysteries, TV

Sweating it Out

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When I went to the gym last week, I turned on the tv attached to the stationary bike.  This doesn’t sound like front page news, I know, but it’s extraordinary to me for two reasons.

First, I have never turned on the little tv EVER.  I joined my gym about 30 years ago.  A franchise of a California company was opening and they sent representatives to BIW to scrounge up some memberships.  I’ve spent most of my life trying to get myself to exercise; if there were a vitamin I could pop that could replace exercise in my world, I’d be all over that.  When the reps offered up an extraordinary rate for BIW folks, I signed up.  (And not only was it extraordinary but the price never went up in all the years I was a paying member.)  And I went to the gym like clockwork because for most of those years I got money back from my health insurance company and from BIW – for about 15 years the amount of payback was actually a couple more than I paid the gym.  It was like getting paid to exercise. These days I do mostly stationary bike and occasionally laps in the pool.

The second reason it was extraordinary was that when I turned on the tv, I searched for the Olympics.  You all know I am not a sports fan of any kind.  I only follow gymnastics a smidge because YA follows and I hear things from her. Other than that, I know nothing. When I play Trivial Pursuit, I always make sure there is a sports person on my team because I am useless in that category.

But that day, there was an intersection of my issues.  I didn’t have a book; I’d had a bunch of errands, including meeting YA for lunch and I completely forgot to grab a book even though the gym was on my to-do list.  And no stray books skulking around in the car either, which is also unusual.  I thought about stopping at Southdale library (between BIW and the gym) but I just didn’t want to.  I figured I’d just fart around on my phone for 30 minutes while I cycled.

When I jumped onto the bike, it occurred to me that I could turn on the little TV and watch THE OLYMPICS!  I’m not sure why I am not a jot interested in sports/athletics but I can watch Olympic coverage for hours and days on end.  I was in Madison for several days and my friend and I had the games on pretty much full time if we were at home.  That’s how it always is; I don’t expect to watch any Olympics and then I watch, follow specific athletes, text a couple of friends who I know are watching.  When the games are over, my interest will disappear, pretty much overnight.

So there I was – the person who hates to exercise — watching sports on the gym television.  When Leon Marchand was trailing in second place for most of his 200M Butterfly and then poured it on the last 5 seconds to take the gold, I raised up my arms and cheered (quietly)! I feel like a different person lives in my skin during the Olympics.

Do you have/have you had a go-to exercise? 

36 thoughts on “Sweating it Out”

  1. I used to run, back in the ‘80s, but it was hard on my knees so now I mostly walk for exercise. When weather permits we walk in the neighborhood but we also have a YWCA nearby which our health insurance entitles us to use for free. When I walk the track there I also sometimes do a round on the machines.
    You didn’t ask, but I would never join one of the exercise classes. For one thing, they always play obnoxious music and it’s always too loud.
    I haven’t set out to watch any of the olympics but I happened to catch a little of the badminton. It’s not much like badminton in the back yard.

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    1. I used to do aerobics but there was only one class that I really enjoyed. The instructor was named John and as the class went on, he added one bit onto another until at the end, we had a long string that was almost like a dance.

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    2. I usually despise the music they play for Zumba or Silver Sneakers or any of that stuff. I really like the music in the line dancing class I go to at the Y, though. It’s music that makes you want to move.

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  2. I’ve watched way more badminton that I thought was possible. Saw the poor Spanish woman hurt her knee and have to withdraw. Saw the two Chinese women who I didn’t realize were women for a good 10 minutes. Watched India vs Korea last night and can’t believe how many shuttlecocks they went through. Apparently singles badminton is rough on the poor plastic shuttlecocks.

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  3. I do my sciatica PT exercises in bed in the morning when I wake up. Crawling all over the garden pulling weeds, hauling mulch and compost and top soil, bending and stooping to connect hoses, that is my exercise.
    Husband does all that as well as walks the dog three times a day.

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  4. T’ai chi is so slow you wouldn’t think it’s that much exercise, but it does good things with all your joints, so I guess that’s one. Folk dance is good, esp. if you still can do the aerobic ones.

    I’m trying to get myself to do more walking. I usually wait till after supper so Husband and I can both do our 8-block walk, but weather has interfered lately – I should just go on my own in early morning…

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  6. I have many go-to exercises. I’ve done weight training since 1984 (thrice weekly for about 15 years, then twice weekly since then because I hate it so much.) Walking is probably the default go to for aerobics since I walk the golf course in season, and walk to and from downtown (2+ miles one way) in the shoulder seasons when it’s dry and not icy. I’ll often walk the trails in town, usually about 4 miles in an hour.

    I bike once or twice a week in season to change it up from walking. Winter is indoor aerobics plus XC skiing when conditions allow and ice skating on the outdoor rink at the river.

    And don’t forget stretching! I do a few legs/hips/back stretches in bed upon waking. Then I have a 15-20 minute routine I do before indoor aerobic or weight workouts.

    What got me motivated to do all this “stuff” year after year after year? Believe it or not, I got a stupid Nike “Just do it” t-shirt way back when and wore it regularly. Every time I got sick of weights or walking or whatever exercise, I reminded myself that if I didn’t “Just do it,” I’d end up dealing with our broken health care system (more appropriately, our “sickness care system”). And that’s something I want to avoid at all costs for as long as possible.

    Chris in Owatonna

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      1. Any sort of movement helps. Just start small with something you enjoy (i.e. nature hikes for me), and work it into your weekly routine. Then add a few stretches every day, maybe get some light weights and do squats and arm curls/extensions a few times a week. Find a sport you like and try to do it once a month (or weekly). Before you know it, you’re doing something every day for 30-60 minutes and not missing whatever you were doing instead of exercising.

        One step at a time.

        Chris

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        1. Chris, I’ve been thinking about your T-shirt all day. And while the Nike swish might not do it for me, I was thinking maybe I should have a T-shirt made that says “if not now, when“. Because I’m not getting any younger. And thanks to the magic of Google, I realize I don’t have to have the shirt made — here are tons of them already out there. Now I just have to decide which one.

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  7. I also should add the cardio exercise we get tugging with the terrier every time we sit in the living room. Kyrill goes from one of us to the other with a tugging toy, making vicious growling noises and pulling as hard as he can.

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  9. Rise and Shine, Baboons,

    In January I added Water Aerobics to my exercise routine. This works well for me and keeps pressure off my joints while burning a lot of energy. After the first several sessions I came home to sleep. That lasted until my body adjusted to it. Any season that is not summer, I am at the gym 5-6days out of 7 on the treadmill and a seated Nustep crosstrainer that rehabs hips and knees. In the summer, including today, I am out in the garden weeding, planting, and putzing around. I sprayed myself with insect repellent, aka bug dope, so I smell terrible. I hope the bugs think I smell terrible, too.

    OT: Phoebe is now on a half dose of prednisone which is allowing her delightful, playful personality to re-emerge. This morning she had her toys out wanting to tug! Yipee. This is a three month weaning process off of the steroid. We must now watch carefully to determine if the symptoms remit entirely or re-emerge. She still tires easily, but her ears are again in the entirely “happy” erect position

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  12. I found that paying and signing up with a personal trainer increased my commitment to exercise- I had to show up for someone! I have done this 3 times weekly for at least 15 years. It got me thru hip and knee replacement and helped with weight loss. My enthusiasm grew when I added Pilates. My trainer is a physical therapist and knows how to adapt exercises for my body. Hopefully it will keep me mobile thru my 70’s and 80’s.

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