When buying a house, you always hear “Location, Location, Location”, so what does this have to do with Diabetes?
To Gym, or Not to Gym
Over the last few months, I have been getting my act together when it comes to working out.
When I participated in the Star Wars 5K, I really didn’t prepare. I did a few walks/runs before the race but nothing on a consistent base. I didn’t have the right shoes so I hurt my foot, then the weather wouldn’t cooperate, or I would get eaten alive by the bugs …
So in January of 2017, my wife and I got subscriptions to Planet Fitness, much like a lot of people do at the start of a new year… with the intent of working out.
Well, needless to say, after 18 months, we had gone ZERO times.
Yes, that’s right, ZERO, the big doughnut hole.
The weather wasn’t really helping and I needed somewhere to workout that was indoors, so I finally went down and got my membership access and was ready to get started. Since then, I know go to the gym 5-6 times a week and doing very well with getting a workout.
So, what does any of this have to do with location? After visiting the gym a few times, I realized that I had a preference. The location I selected for working out had a huge effect on the type of workout that was most effective for me.
Go to the Gym
For example, the gym is a great place to get a workout if I want to burn a lot of calories. I can get on a treadmill, turn the incline up to 15 (the max) and take a walk at 4.0 MPH for 5K which given my age and weight burns a little over 1000 calories. That is a great start to the day and helps to keep my body burning calories all day.
Get Outdoors
Conversely, I realized that going to the gym to run on the treadmill is weird for me. I feel awkward when I run and I swear I am just waiting for the time when I lose my footing, miss a step and firmly plant my face on the treadmill track. I have already had several close calls as I watched my phone go shooting off the track onto the floor.
I have found that if I want to go run, especially distances (10K+) it works out better to get out in the open air and run on the road. I can control the speed and the ground moving under me stops when I stop without any extra effort. Plus I have noticed that the bugs and rain can sometimes be a great motivator to get moving and run faster, although I still think that I could do without them.
Now Its Your Turn
What’s the point? As you work towards getting into a regular exercise pattern, you will realize that you don’t have to always go to the gym, or always use your neighborhood. You may find that different locations work best for different activities. I did.
Where do you like to workout? Share your comments below.
