Some habits are quirky, like all my food must be cut into bite sizes pieces before I start eating (and yes, this habit formed before I had children). Some habits are annoying, such as my husband’s insistence in hitting the snooze button 5 times before getting up. Some habits are boring, like the order in which someone puts on shoes. And some habits are out of a simple necessity to survive, such as giving my children snacks as bribes to just [fill in the blank].
Normally I don’t notice my habits, but today I went to the gym. I will now pause to give you a chance to stop laughing.
Okay… can I continue?
So today, I noticed my gym habits and decided to spend some time thinking about them. I’m not sure why I’m sharing them, but here I go…
I always do three things:
- I go to the side of the gym opposite the pictures of all the impossibly beautiful and unattainable bodies lining the walls. Seriously, I feel fat enough already. I don’t need a constant reminder that there are people in this world who can run without having every part of their body jiggle. I mean, why can’t they show pictures of us more ‘insulated’ folks, wishfully dreaming as we sweat our tushies off just to get into the ‘average’ size pair of jeans!
- I pick a treadmill near someone who’s actually jogging (but not the skinniest one there, cause that would just make me feel worse). I have to admit, I love the look on some of their faces as I start… walking that is. With the uber fit -you know, the ones who wear spandex shorts with sports bras and their little iPod armbands wrap around twice just to stay up - there’s often an immediate, involuntary judgment on their faces when they see someone like me. No, I’m generally not the least healthy person in the gym, but I definitely don’t fit into “their club.” So why do I do it, I guess it’s because I’m hoping some of their energy (or maybe just the feeling of guilt) rubs off and I actually push myself a little harder. And, odd as it sounds, it makes me feel more satisfied knowing at least one person is leaving the gym with a sense of accomplishment.
- I always run the last five minutes… even if it’s at the same speed I was just walking. I do this for a number of reasons. First, let’s be honest, five minutes is the maximum I can do right now (well, I could probably do more if I really, really tried but it’s all about the baby steps… right?). Second, I’m already sweaty, so if I at least run the last part, maybe the person who just came up to the treadmills will actually think I ran the whole time (and that I must be incredibly motivated and have outstanding athletic ability). And lastly, I’m hoping to increase that number each week. The only way to do that is to start somewhere.
Tawn
I totally get and even do some of your habbits myself. One thing my gym has, unfortunately, are LOADS of mirrors, so no matter where you are at, you can see yourself at every friggin angle. UGH!
ReplyDeleteHang in there. It'll get easier (coming from someone who hasn't been to the gym to work out in weeks). :0)
And by the way, this is Kristin, NOT Scott. He's just the one with an account to post something.