EXERCISE TIPS
26 February 2002
Now that I've become a jock, I thought I'd pass along a
few pointers that may help neophytes at the neighborhood gym:
If you drop something while you're walking on the
treadmill, don't stop and try to bend over and pick it up while the treadmill is still moving. Especially if someone is
standing behind you doing free weights. Unless you want to make intimate friends very
quickly. |
(I don't look like this...yet)
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When using the rowing machine, be sure
to check the weights. Just because the guy before you can lift 100 lbs, it doesn't mean
that you can. |
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Using the leg press is inadvisable in a crowded room if
you've had beans the night before. |
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My exercise routine was weird this morning. I went to the club early
and was pleased to see that it was open at 10 to 6. But it was also FULL! Almost all the
regulars were there at the same time. People must have had bad weekends and felt the need
to work it all off in the morning.
My routine goes: semi-recumbant bike for 15 minutes, treadmill for
20 minutes, UBE for 5 minutes (for those who don't know what an UBE is, it looks something
like this (actually, it looks exactly like this) --
Then I do 40 leg presses (40 lbs), 20 lifts with the rowing machine
(40 lbs), 20 with the overhead bar (30 lbs), 30 back stretches (40 lbs), 20 stomach
machine (30 lbs) and then home.
But the semi-recumbant bike was GONE this morning. It's had a
wobbily seat for some time and I guess they finally decided to fix it (hopefully it will
be fixed sooner than the 3rd treadmill which has been "being repaired" ever
since I've been going to the club). With the bike gone, I decided to start with the
treadmill, only the woman who is usually on the treadmill at that time was then lost when she
arrived. She wandered around doing various machines and I limited my time on the treadmill
to 15 minutes, but went at a faster speed (2.6 mph) and steeper incline (6%) so probably
got a better workout than usual.
Then, since all the weight bearing machines were being used (where
did all these people come from??) I tried the stationary bike, which I haven't used
before. It was OK but I didn't like it as much as the semi-recumbant.
Only three weeks at the club and already I'm inflexible. I guess I'd better learn how to adapt, since it looks like my routine is going to be altered for awhile now. Maybe I'll actually try out some of the other machines, which I haven't attempted yet.
It was easy to tell which people in the waiting room were there for
the Diabetes "Quick Start" class at Kaiser this afternoon. We were all the pudgy
ones waddling into the classroom. After only eight months of waiting, I
finally got into this class to learn how to control my diabetes. The doctor had told
me it was borderline and that with diet and exercise I might reverse it. The nurse
says this is like being "a little bit pregnant" and that if you have diabetes,
you have it forever.
But I have to admit I know a lot more about diabetes this
evening than I did this morning. I was pleased to see that when they took readings
on my blood, it was low. But I now have been prescribed blood monitoring equipment
and will be able to check it myself and see if it stays low.
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