Lessons from the gym, a list.

Here are some observations made from repeated trips to the gym.

1.  People with faulty memory diodes should use a notebook to keep track of weights and repetitions.  Reality sends constant reminders; I am a "big picture" person, who has little time or patience for petty little details (like the names of my co-workers, they are all Bob, to me).  When sitting down on the resistance training machine I am at a complete loss for where I should put the little pin, locking the weights into place.

There is a conversation raging in my head "it was at 80 yesterday, we should stay there for a while and just increase the reps."  The more reasonable side will say.  

"No, 80 is for wimps, we were at 100, at least, and we should go for 120 today.  You wouldn't like that though, you are too lazy to even say the whole word 'repetitions.'"  The less reasonable side will reply. 

Pretty soon it gets heated and I have to step in and say, "why don't we use 90 pounds, and do as many repetitions as possible."  But, they are no longer talking to each other, or me, so that is what we do.  A record of previous workouts would save a lot of aggravation, and we could go back to arguing about important things, like which podcast should be  next.

2.  Even though my elbow feels like it is on fire, it isn't.  I looked, and it seems fine.  Which indicates something is wrong inside.  Not being a doctor limits the scope of the diagnosis, but it is probably something in the joint, or the muscle, or the attaching ligaments, or tendons.  I think.

This injury has reared its ugly head before.  One time it got so bad I even took it to the doctor.  He looked it over and said it was not an uncommon problem among aging men.  And, they could repair it, by cutting open the elbow, and grinding down the canal on the bone, where the nerve, or something ran.  I don't really remember what it was, because at surgery I started getting a little shaky, warm, and lightheaded.  When he started to talk about using a grinder on my bone the room started spinning.  I don't remember too much after that.  But, my elbow felt a lot better, as I sprinted from the office, yelling my thanks at the doctors, nurses, reception personnel, and patients.

3.  Exercising has a lot of benefits.  Yes, there is the long term health improvement, which is why I started.  But, there is an immediate boost, I feel better.  Moreover, I feel better about myself.  Feeling better about myself has made me look for other ways to improve, and there is a vegetable in my lunch everyday, and a glass or two of water in place of a carbonated, sugary soft drink.    

Exercising is not the chore I feared it would be, today is my day off from the gym, so I have time to work out the best way to track my efforts, maybe Wunderlist, or Allthings, it has to be something that will allow the use of photos, or pictures of some kind.  Adding some art makes it more fun, and hey entertainment is cool.  If you have any suggestions for an iOS app that will work let me know, please.  

Remember to exercise, you won't regret it.