Planet Fitness

I have been getting up early all week this week. Did I get a job? No, I wish. Rather I have joined a gym. Planet Fitness to be exact.

In May of 2007 I joined Planet Fitness and was very committed to going five days a week. I would get up at 4:30, be at the gym by 5:00 and work out for an hour and then back home by 6:15 in order to get ready for work. I did this loyally for a year. Five days a week all year. I loved it! I loved that I was getting in better shape, I loved the cardio, the weight training, the sweating…everything. I especially loved that I did it without giving myself a heart attack.

Then my arthritis kicked in. At first I thought it was just a mild attack. I did get those on occasion but it would always go away after a few days. But my joints kept aching and hurting and swelling. For weeks. Along with that I also was very tired all the time. When my inflammation level is high, not only is it painful and my joints are swollen and difficult to move but I really don’t feel good at all.

Finally I had to give up my workouts. It was all I could do just to get out of bed in the morning and go to work. I just wasn’t able to do anything beyond that.

This attack started in May of 2008. It wasn’t until November of that year that my doctor convinced me to go on the incredibly strong medicine that would get the arthritis under control. The medicine has very serious side effects and it really scared me. But it got to the point where the arthritis was so bad that the side effects weren’t as scary anymore.

Since then I have been waiting for my inflammation levels to drop to the point where I could work out again without injuring my joints. My doctor finally told me I could start walking last fall. So I joined Planet Fitness so I could use the treadmill.

Wait…this is April. I joined last fall and I am just now going back?? Well, I just couldn’t get myself to go for a variety of reasons. I was worried about my joints hurting, giving myself a heart attack, being judged, etc. Just a whole slew of thoughts racing through my head preventing me from doing what I needed to do.

Finally this past Monday I decided to bite the bullet and just go already. I got up at 4:30, got dressed and sat around my apartment for an hour trying to convince myself to go. Then at 5;30, I decided that, since I was dressed anyway, I would at least drive over to Planet Fitness. Didn’t have to go in. Just drive over. That would be enough of a step in the right direction.

But when I arrived, there was a parking spot right in front. So I parked. And sat there staring at the building. Finally I decided that I had come this far, I might as well go in.

Once I was in the gym and on the treadmill, I remembered how much I really loved it. Moving and sweating really makes me feel alive. Vibrant. Healthy. Happy. And no one was watching me or judging me. At least not in a blatant obvious way.

So now I am back into the routine. Monday through Friday. First thing in the morning. Back at working out.

Of course my doctor has only given me permission to do the treadmill or the elliptical. No weights or anything else. After all, my inflammation levels are still not back to normal and I could injure myself. But she, my doctor, is monitoring me closely and eventually I will be able to go back to doing weight training in addition to cardio. In the mean time, it just feels good to be back.

Hopefully I will continue to feel better as time goes by. My arthritis will stay under control, I will get in shape and, thus, become healthier. So I can continue to do all that I want to do. Continue to be “Martha” when I can and “Mary” when I should (see previous post). That is my plan. God willing.