Gym-Rat-ian Confessions, Part 1

It's months overdue, but I have a confession. I'm becoming a Gym Rat. At the end of last year several things came together. I was tired of having to work my exercise time - outdoor walking - around the weather (both winter and summer present challenges, even in Silicon Valley's mild climate). We found that my company-provided health plan offers membership at 24 Hour Fitness at a substantial discount. My company shuts down every year between Christmas and New Year, and I checked out 24 Hour to see if it could make sense for me. It did and does.

Let me say at the outset, a gym membership does not come with the discipline to darken its doors or exercise machines with one's shadow. Discipline and determination are developed, not bought. Buying a year's gym membership won't magically get one inside the gym and exercising every day. And I wasn't trying to buy that discipline. I had already been doing my regular walking for exercise (not an occasional casual stroll!) for well over a year and a half.

So, why did I join? I already mentioned greater flexibility regarding weather. It never rains inside, nor does the temperature get into the 90s. I mainly (but not exclusively) use the treadmill. Walking outside, I have to estimate my pace, and if I want it to be steady for some measured time, I have to account for things like stoplights and crossing intersections. Treadmills do that for me and time me. Treadmills are safer - no cars with distracted drivers, no idiots on bicycles passing me from behind on the sidewalk without announcing their presence, no idiots on bicycles coming straight at me on the sidewalk ignoring my existence. Streets in my area of Silicon Valley are fairly flat, but half-marathon courses (such as that of the San Francisco Half Marathon) can include hills. Treadmills can add varying degree of incline (handy generally to improve stamina and also to increase the number of calories burned per minute). It's not the same as walking outside, but using a treadmill offers some useful advantages and flexibility. I've also been using weight machines, to improve my general strength (not for body-building as such) and burn calories in a different way.

I plan to post more along these lines. I'm not into, "Me! Me! Me!" but blogging is about things that occupy my time, energy and thoughts.