Body Movin'

I think my mom might be the cutest patootest person in the whole world. You see, she's recently started a new work out routine and she calls to give me the run down of all of the insane things her new gym drill sergeant makes her do. My favorite thus far was when she told me her trainer told her to reach farther as she did the row machine. She then told me she'd really like to do this, but her belly gets in the way. Haha, like I said, my mom is fantastic.

At any rate, the madre says that these workouts often make her think of me, because I am the daughter that is the gym rat. Some people can't stand the place, but I find the routine and convenience unbeatable. The thing about the gym though, is that it is a really awesomely weird place. In fact, I can't believe it's taken me this long to write about it. So below are a few gems from my experiences at the gym.

1. Gyms are an untapped resource for people watching. Some people think gyms are boring and they can't stand the thought of working out on a machine for 45 minutes. Clearly, they have never looked up as they rode that elliptical into the ground. Watching people at the gym is the best part of my day. In particular, I love watching the beefcakes walk into the men's locker room as they slyly check themselves out in the mirror. "We can all see you!" I want to shout. "Nice flame/tribal/barbed wire tattoo, bro!" But I don't because I'm afraid they'll stop doing it and then who will I chuckle at?

2. Gyms are home to my best friend/worst enemy: the treadmill. I say this because anyone that has ever had a conversation about exercising with me probably knows that I loathe running. To me it is the hardest thing on the planet. I attribute this to my little Asian lungs and Buddha-esque legs. My two best friends however, love to run. So this summer they inspired me to fire up the treadmill and go for a run. I've now gotten to the point where I don't completely want to die, and occasionally even feel like this:

 But usually when I start feeling that way, I look in the mirror and realize that I'm moving at a turtle's pace and it's more like this:

Let's just say it's a work in progress.

3. Gyms are eclectic.  When you are working out at a gym, you are surrounded by a wide array of people. You've got the meat heads that look like cartoons because they can't pull their arms down to their sides due to their awkwardly bulging muscles. You've also got the adorable senior citizens who show up 30 minutes early for their Silver Sneakers class and hold onto the handles of the treadmill. You've got the people who are just there to say they went to the gym, which is obvious due to the fact that they are exercising in full makeup and no sports bra. Finally, you've got the people like me, who are there to get a good workout in and check out the hot trainers.

4. Gyms are motivating. I just attended a weight lifting class last week where the teacher was a mix of Molly Weasley and Hells Angels complete with fanny pack and sweatband. She walked around doing bicep curls while screaming at us, "Push harder!", "No cheating!", "Watch your body CHANGE!" I was sweating boatloads by the end when I realized that this crazy lady had really motivated me to try harder. Between trainers like that and the 80+ year old man training for the marathon, I'd say it's time for me to put it into high gear.

 

5. Gyms make me feel mighty. I think the reason I keep going back to the gym is I feel like a rock star after I'm done. I know I'm never going to be the skinniest little thing in the world, but I've learned that I can do things that I never thought I could. There are few things more rewarding than being able to say that I crushed that last spin class or that I just completed 800+ reps in Body Pump. I find myself giving serious props to those people I see at the gym that are obviously struggling with their weight. I've learned to celebrate the small wins with my body because weight is a hard thing to deal with, and getting off your ass is harder still. But even if you're only there for a half hour, you're still mightier than when you walked in, and that is pretty fabulous.