Rules and the Ruling Rulers who Dictate them.

And so I join a gym. I know what you are thinking... But Jody, you look so great. Don't change!!
Alas my friends... I only plan to change on the outside. My winning, friendly, positive thinking, relationship bashing, whitty, bad spelling personality will not alter. But, hopefully, my huge ass that I have acumilated from a cold winter of watching movies and eating cookies will decrease.

Yuka, my handy friend/translator/cooridinator, came to help me out at joining the local gym. I picked a gym that is less than 20 minutes from my house and has a good reputation in the community. It has a heated indoor pool, sauna, bath, and workout room. Not bad for 5 bucks a visit. But since I am serious about working out... I paid the year membership fee.

Rule: No shoes can be worn inside the facility. Special inside-only-shoes can and must be worn only inside the exercise room.

When we arrived, because Yuka called ahead and told them we were coming... there was a general concern about me joining the gym. Apparently they have had problems with guijin in the past and I looked like trouble. As our party was being urged to kindly leave I was thinking "This is crap! Do I look like I have problems! If you don't let me join this gym, I'll give you a problem!" Luckily, after Yuka informed them that I wasn't as clueless as I looked, all was OK.

So... in order to start working out... you must take a short introductionary lesson. OK .

Rule: Everyone must be properly attired to enter the exercise room.

Poor Yuka. They were not going to allow her in unless she went and put on something more athletic. " HEllo! She is just my translator for the day. She is not going to work out. Just let her come in." Thank god she had some extra clothes in her car, but seriously... what a pain in the ass.

After filling out some general health forms, the class began.

Rule: Before you enter the excersise room, EVERYONE must take their blood pressure.

WHAT???

RULE: Before working out, everyone must sign in and write down their blood pressure, locker number and overall rating of how you feel today.

After going over the brief rules of how to wait for a machine, how long you can be on a machine, how to properaly clean off the machine after each use, how to work out properaly, how to strech (there are charts near ever mat) and everyother rule and tidbit about this small gym...we were free to go. I am excited about joining the gym, but I am also dissapointed in the limited about of equipment to choose from. I have just joined a gym with no eliptical machines and no free weights. Come on... what kind of gym doesn't have free weights? Hello???

I am waiting until I feel better to start going on a regular basis (which will hopefully be in a day or two). Wish me luck in not breaking any of the 107 rules they told me not to break and in getting into shape (actual shape TBA). JA NE!!!