I Joined a Gym

It's not like you think

Although I admire athletes, I have never been among their number, and gym class and math class vied for “least favorite” in my world as a kid. I get a certain satisfaction from this pair of signs in our town library parking lot.

Still, I took this photo today after my morning session at the local gym…at the nursing home.

Up until my mid-thirties, I existed in a chronically underweight body that could put any amount and any type of food inside it with no noticeable difference. I knew I should exercise and that I wasn’t really “in shape,” but I didn’t look like what is typically perceived to be “out of shape,” and I didn’t like exercising, so I didn’t.

Sometime between getting treated for cancer and getting married, my body developed a capacity to gain and retain weight, and on the later end of that time period, a friend of mine began an at-home coaching business. From then until 2023, I faithfully did home video workouts to good effect 4-6 times a week.

And then they stopped working. And then they started hurting. And then they just weren’t fun anymore. After that I mostly didn’t exercise for over a year. Now I am out of shape again like I was in my 20’s and 30’s, but this time it’s visible. And (probably as happens to some extent as one ages, no matter what one does to stay healthy) I’m starting to have some other health concerns and just plain not enjoying having a totally sedentary body, but also haven’t been sure what to do about it.

It was about the time that I was completely fed up with this situation that it occurred to me to ask the septuagenarian and octogenarian in my congregation who participate in water aerobics at the town’s most swanky nursing home what the lower age limit was for a membership there. Note: not by a lot, but the lower age limit is younger than I currently am. So I went as a guest to a water aerobics class with them and got my butt kicked, and signed up for a membership on the spot.

If I felt embarrassed about it, I wouldn’t be telling you. I’m actually really pleased. Water aerobics can be as strenuous as you make it, but easier on my cranky joints. I’m enjoying getting to know some of the other regulars from the community. I’m not alone in my body type. Also, there are weight machines and other equipment I can use and not have to purchase and have cluttering up the basement. Yesterday I was working on the weight machines and all the stuff that played on the radio, new, when I was in high school was playing in the background. It felt like I was back in gym class again…only this time I wanted to be there.

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How do you stay physically healthy? What are your strategies for staying motivated? What are your motivations in the first place?