After joining a gym yesterday afternoon, I went back in the early evening for my first workout. My membership includes a free one-hour personal consultation, but my schedule and the personal trainer’s don’t match up until Saturday. In the meantime, the woman who initially signed me up and gave me a tour of the gym showed me how to use the elliptical machine. (Here are some elliptical machines.)

The elliptical was great. I used it for 30 minutes, and each cardio machine at this gym (elliptical trainer, exercise bike, treadmill) has its own TV screen with several channels. You just plug in some headphones and watch what you want, and the 30 minutes flies by. The best thing was that even though I worked up a sweat, I didn’t feel completely collapsed and dead to the world like I do after I go running. Every so often – maybe once a year – I get motivated to go for a run. I usually do it just once or twice before giving up, because it kills my feet and knees and leaves me completely out of breath. The elliptical machine seems much healthier. My legs felt a little worked out afterwards, I worked up a good sweat, and the distance calculator on the machine said I did the equivalent of at least two miles. I’ll probably do more as I continue.

Once I meet with the personal trainer, I’ll learn how to use the weight machines. That’ll be fun. Maybe?

Back in my first year of law school (almost ten years ago – wow) I started using the university gym. I gave up on the weight machines and the entire gym after just a few days. I don’t think the same will happen this time. I feel more motivated and I’m not going to push myself too hard too quickly. I’m going to be nice to myself and just do what’s healthy.

Yay me.