So today, being Saturday, was my optional day. After going to the gym every day during the week, I decided that my weekends were going to be a bit more relaxed. However, I ended up going to the gym today around noon, and boy, I’m so glad that I did. I had a great time!

I mainly did cardio today. I usually run on the treadmill or use the stairmill. I truly enjoy running on the treadmill even though some people may find it boring. It really motivates me to see the numbers changing on the display, and I can push myself to go further using the numbers. If I feel like quitting and I see that I only have about 0.2 miles left until the next half mile, I’ll tell myself “Okay, just keep going. You can stop at the next half mile, it’s only 0.2 away.” Then, when I reach that marker, I notice that maybe I’m only a few more calories away from reaching a nice round number, so I’ll say “You can make it to ###, just a little bit longer,” and of course when I reach that new marker, my miles have changed and I set a new marker based on that next half mile. It really works for me and keeps me going. Plus, it feels really satisfying to be able to set and reach all those small goals.

Today, I tried two cardio machines at the gym that I’ve never tried before: the indoor rowing machine and the recumbent bike. At first, the rowing felt boring and ineffective, but once I got going, it was a lot of fun and I could feel my heart working. Again, watching the display helped me keep going and I completed the preprogrammed 2000m workout.

Next, I tried the stationary recumbent bike, which is now my new favorite cardio machine. In fact, I can’t wait to go back to the gym tomorrow to do it again! I quickly broke out into a sweat, and I can go much faster and much farther than I do on the treadmill. My feet were flying!

After going about 3 miles on that, I ventured into the spinning room. I figured, “Hey, if I can do that bike, I can do this bike.” The spinning bikes are always available for anyone to use, class or no class. It looked simple enough. I strapped my feet into the pedals, adjusted the dial to give myself a bit of resistance, and off I went pedaling away. It did feel just like riding a bike and wasn’t very hard, but then I realized that class-goers usually stood up in a semi-squatting position, so I stood up and starting pedaling and woah! My thighs burned right away and I could only maintain that position for about 30 seconds. I now understand why spinning is called the ultimate cardio workout! I have a new found respect for those who can endure a 40 minute class. Maybe I’ll join in on one of those classes one day (though I don’t really care for group exercise), but for now, I’m glad I tried it. It’s definitely something I’ll try again to challenge myself and make myself stronger.

Man, I’m really love the gym! Now if only I could love my diet… ugh.