How I Began Working Out

So, before the beginning of this year, I never worked out. I never went to the gym. I never went running. When I was younger, I used to do figure skating and ski team, but that was ten years ago, and I haven't done anything to keep myself physically fit since. Honestly, I haven't really had to, and that's a blessing - I've always been on the lean side, and have never really dealt with severe body issues.

But, a year or so ago, I started feeling a little different. It was apparent that my metabolism was slowing down a bit - I could no longer eat a pint of Ben and Jerry's a night and still stay the same weight. My midriff felt thicker, and my legs felt flabbier. I didn't look as good in a tank top. So, I made a New Year's resolution: work out more.

At the end of December, I joined the swanky Equinox gym next to my new client in Boston. I figured this would serve two purposes: it might encourage me to go out during lunch or right after work and do some working out or take a class, and also paying for it might encourage me to make use of the facilities when before I may have just blown the whole thing off.

Since Equinox is a very swanky gym, they included a free body assessment and a couple of complimentary personal training sessions as part of my membership. Sure, why not? I thought. At the very least, it would be useful to know my starting statistics, and useful to learn how to use a few of the crazy-looking machines in this massive place. So, I signed up and was contacted by a trainer. At the end of our free sessions, I decided to continue on with him and do a program of 12 sessions - that way, I would really understand what goes into a full workout and get started on the right foot.

My trainer was awesome. In addition to being funny and sarcastic and good at personal training, he is also working on becoming a doctor, so as a bonus he could answer a lot of very technical questions about the body and why things happen. And he put up with a lot of crap from me when I complained endlessly during our sessions and told him how much there was NO WAY I could do 5 more reps of this.

Training regularly is hard. I learned all the names of all the muscles. I learned how to foam-roll and stretch. I learned how to use machines, how to use free weights, why to keep my elbows straight, why Cardio doesn't need to be part of my workout, how to eat right when I'm strength training, and all the stupid things that happen when you raise your blood pressure during a workout. I did special exercises to correct my knee turn ins and my feet during squats. Those particular exercises sucked, and made me the closest to crying I ever came while training.

And then, before I knew it, all twelve sessions had passed. And I was done. Well, with the guided training, at least. And we took my measurements and stats again. I had weighed 125 pounds when we started. Funnily enough, I weighed 125 pounds when we ended, too. But, my percentage of body fat went down and somewhere in that training, I had lost just about 5.5 pounds of fat and gained 5.5 pounds of lean muscle. It doesn't sound like a lot, I guess, but I don't weigh that much and it's an accomplishment.

Now I just need to keep going! Wish me luck, I guess?