W22, Day 5: Gym recap

Yesterday I was so anxious about heading to the gym.  And this morning.  And by noon when I was tying up my shoes, grabbing my water bottle and towel, and heading out the door.  Arriving at a very full parking lot for a Sunday at noon, we ambled inside the building and scanned in.  Some of my nervousness dissipated just by walking in the door, and some of it fell away as my husband and I wandered around the premises.  I felt better when I knew where the group exercise room is, the locker rooms and bathroom, the pool, etc.

Then, trying to be noticed as little as possible, I slipped onto an elliptical machine and got busy.  Once I got going, it was fine.  I noticed several overweight and obese people quietly going about their business and that helped too because I didn't feel like I stood out so much.  I pumped away at the elliptical for thirty minutes, which isn't really long, but it was a bit of a push for me to keep going.  After about three minutes, I could feel the tired dragging in my legs.  Obviously I'm way out of shape!  But I kept going and I felt good about myself when I got to my goal of thirty minutes.

After, I wandered over to the weight machines.  I have to thank my husband a lot.  I was afraid to get on the machines because I was afraid of doing it wrong and looking like an idiot in front of the 'serious' gym folks.  So the dear man went with me, machine by machine, and demonstrated it first and helped me adjust the weights.  Then I did those for awhile.  I will feel better when I get to meet with a trainer to help me figure out what specifically I should be doing, but since the gym just opened, the list of people itching for trainer time is long.  The trainer offices were hoppin'!  But if they don't get back to me next week, I'll ask again because it'll be good for me to have help to focus on my fitness goals--build muscle, get stronger, lose weight.

We're going to go back to the gym tomorrow.  I may just do the same thing as today, adding a trip to the pool afterward.  I remember long ago at our old gym, the trainer told me that even if I didn't do a huge workout every day, at least come and do lower key activities to get in the habit of going to the gym.  It's too easy to turn it into something too difficult and intimidating and then stop going.  So, all in all, my back hurts and I was starvingly hungry today, but I feel pretty good and much less uncomfortable.  Hopefully tomorrow'll be even better.  Adelante!