Tuesday, February 21, 2012
A Sagittarian's Adventures at the Gym
I don't obsess on my horoscope like some- but the characteristics associated with my sign are dead on. So much that it's actually pretty scary. Us Sagittarians have a love of freedom and a disdain for routine- and also tend to be a bit on the irresponsible side... (see, it's not entirely my fault when I screw up!).
In my opinion, this explains why I never joined a gym until I was 40 years old. Structured fitness just seemed entirely too organized for me- (structured anything for that matter- again, it's the Sagittarius in me). I couldn't imagine even stepping foot in a place that people paid to run like hamsters on a wheel.
Me- I have always preferred to get my dose of exercise in the great outdoors surrounded by fresh air. However, astrological sign or not- I have never been a big fan of winter sports. I am incredibly lazy in the winter- I blame it on the lack of suntan oil during those dark months. But us Sagittarians are also very adaptable- which forced me to get off the couch and join Planet Fitness. I strolled in one night after work and went through the rigamarole of filling out the paperwork and giving them my checking acct. info. Normally, I don't like to have money just taken from my account automatically, it's too much commitment for me- but I didn't have a choice in the matter this time. The girl signing me up gave me the whole spiel about how it's not like other gyms and anyone and everyone feels comfortable here- a claim I found difficult to believe. I guess I still thought of gyms as places only musclebound guys and women in tight, perfectly matched workout gear and full makeup hung out. Turns out I was wrong- at least about this place- looking around there were all shapes and sizes of people and no one even seemed to really pay attention to each other- just their workout at hand. I know some people think of the gym as a social opportunity but not me. I just want to be able to focus on myself while I'm there- crank my ipod and get in the zone. The girl completed my forms and then offered me a compliment "I love your eyebrows, where do you get them done?!"- nice but a bit odd. It's not every day that you get feedback on your brows. Since I came right from work and hadn't been prepared to work out, I left and decided to come back the next day for some hardcore cardio. The next evening, the first person who greeted me was the girl from the night before- and it was obvious she had been discussing me with her coworker. "Hey Linda- this is the girl I was telling you about- with the great eyebrows she does herself!" I laughed and said something along the lines of "Maybe I should have a seminar on it, make a little extra money!" which cracked them both up. Interesting- maybe this place won't be so bad after all- and if I have any questions, I can always flash my eyebrows and get immediate assistance. I get on the treadmill and start doing my thing- with a brand new play list I had made the night before. I never fully realized how vital a kicka$$ play list is at the gym- without it, you just don't have the same motivation level. My play list is a random mix of old and new- including J. Lo tunes from her pre-poser days, Cage the Elephant, Mickey Avalon, Kid Rock, Foo Fighters, OffSpring, Pink, Puddle of Mudd, My Darkest Days and (go figure) old Pat Benatar. I also find that if I throw it on random shuffle- it also gives me a little extra motivation. Now, the only thing left to try is the free pizza they provide- every first Friday of the month. Yes folks, you heard it right- my gym has free pizza one Friday a month. Insanity. I guess they figure it's all about moderation - and hell, whoever goes to the gym on a Friday after a long day at work- deserves a big slice.
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