Exercise at the Gym
I like to exercise at the gym three times a week. My workouts consist of work on body-core exercises, weight bearing machines, cardio exercise, and free weights. As of February 2022, Gary and I have been members of Planet Fitness for 4 months.
We chose Planet Fitness because it is close to our home and many days we don’t have enough time to drive 20-30 minutes each way to another gym. Planet Fitness is inexpensive and very clean. With a Black Membership, you can use any Planet Fitness gym in the United States. Unfortunately, our Planet Fitness doesn’t offer instructional classes; however, I have devised my own exercise routine.
Below is a picture of Planet Fitness 30-minute room, which contains a nice selection of weight machines and step-up boxes. It takes 30 minutes to do the circuit and this is where I started my exercise routine.
I started off with the weight settings customized to my strength for each machine. The chosen weight settings for each machine should be just difficult enough to do 10-15 reps, but not excessively difficult. In this room you work for 60 seconds at each numbered station followed by a 30-second period of rest. After each rest period, you then advance to the next station. The room is designed to do a resistance (weights) station followed by a cardio station. Work your way around the room doing exercises at each station, numbered from 1 to 20. Following the 20th station, I suggest that you stretch each of your muscle groups to avoid injury and muscle tightness.
One day, I noticed the chart on the wall. The chart shows a number of variations to use for the step-up boxes. It looks like it was modeled after the “Biggest Loser.” Following the chart made it more interesting to use the step-up boxes. I sometimes like doing the lunges around the room between sets instead of using the step-up box. Make it fun, but challenging for you.
After a month, “Exercise at the gym” became a habit and our weekly challenge. I was able to switch to 2 rotations around the 30-minute room, for a total of 60 minutes. After 2 months, I switched to the big-room and began using the different weight machines there. Planet Fitness also has a section with free weights.
After I have done my weight routine, I’ll use one of the different cardio machines that they offer. My favorite is the Elliptical machine, since I can move both my arms and legs. As of Feb 2022, I’m up to level 14. It feels good to know how far I’ve come in my exercise journey, as my goal is to have firm and toned muscles. Note: for the best results, vary your workouts. Your gains will come slower after a period of time of doing the same workout repeatedly. Remember, variety is the spice of life. More variety means more gains for you!
On the days we don’t exercise at the gym, I like to walk for 30 minutes with our dog Maddie. She loves to walk quickly, and some days we do a run for 30 seconds, walk two minutes and run 30 seconds. It is good cardio for both of us. I don’t always get to the gym or go for a walk, but exercise has become part of my healthy journey. I feel great, have more energy, and find that exercise also lifts my mood.