stressfreemom

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When I first joined the gym, it was brand new. It was so new, in fact, that it was still under construction. Work on the bathrooms, Jacuzzi and sauna was still underway, and classes had not yet begun. The equipment consisted of about ten treadmills, three elliptical machines and assorted weight machines, as well as free weights, strength bands and other portable equipment.

I had been walking regularly, and I thought I was in pretty good shape, until I tried the elliptical machine. I thought it would be a good form of exercise for me because I sometimes have problems with my knees. What I didn’t realize was that the climbing motion that is mimicked by the elliptical machine uses muscles that I had not been using during my walks. After three minutes, my legs ached and I could not go on.

I admit I was embarrassed that I lasted such a short time. I thought about giving up, but decided that if I would just be patient with myself, I could work my way up to a much longer workout. So the next time, I survived five whole minutes, and seven the time after that. I gradually worked my way up to 30 minutes, and I stayed there for a long time. Recently I tried the weight loss program on the machine, which runs for 28 minutes, with a 5-minute cool down at the end. I like that program best. It’s a good length of time, and I always bring some reading material with, so the time passes quickly.

I’m glad I tried something new, and I’m glad I stuck with it. Now it’s my favorite part of my workout.

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