I’m afraid that if I were to die at this moment, “Tried to Exercise” would be a fitting epitaph on my tombstone. Exercising, for being an activity that I enjoy so little, has taken up a large portion of my mental energy over the past few years as I have swung back and forth between attempting a workout routine (again!) and feeling guilty because I was not sticking to the program.

My Old Ladies’ Pilates class fizzled out late last semester when Kay, the glue that held us all together, had surgery and was out for several weeks. No one came to class in her absence, and no one bothered to revive the group once she had recovered. Since then, I’ve walked with some regularity (less, now that school is in session), but my efforts have been hit-and-miss.

My intention was to join a gym when I moved to Temple and join a class, which I’ve had the best success with. I like the accountability and peer pressure that comes from someone else telling me what to do, and lots of classmates obeying all around me. I’ve come to accept the fact that I have a hard time pushing myself to exertion on a treadmill or with a workout video if I’m in charge of my own progress.

Unfortunately, my current schedule does not lend itself to a class commitment. I can’t imagine adding one more fixed to-do to my evening schedule, which feels crammed enough as it is. So class is out. Inspired by KarenD and my mother-in-law, Paula, I took out a two-week trial at Curves to see how that would go. I’ve gone six times in two weeks (the recommended three times a week), and now I have to make a decision. Here are the pros and cons:

Pros:

  • steady routine, similar to a class, takes the decision-making out of my exercising
  • little censors tell me when I’m working hard or slacking off, providing at least digital accountability
  • people are nice
  • flexibility is perfect for my schedule
  • nice moderately intense workout- enough to break a little sweat but not so bad that I have to go shower afterward, which makes it do-able even on on-the-go evenings
  • variety of machines works out all muscles
  • I can go in Temple or Waco, depending on my schedule

Cons:

  • No people my age go to Temple Curves
  • Don’t know if the “moderate intensity” will be a good workout long-term
  • Have to commit for 12 months
  • Don’t know if I’m ready for the whole Curves culture- seems to be quite a lifestyle for some people. Is there some Curves juice in the water fountain that will make me interested in all the merchandise and social activities?