Hard to call training regimen fun and games
My trainer, Tony, and I have a difference of opinion. Typically, I think differing opinions are a good thing and often it's more interesting to be around people with varying views. But after nearly three months together, Tony and I have made little progress on one particular subject.
Fun.
For instance, after several dozen crunches, I'm in a crumpled heap on the floor and Tony will say, “that was fun!”
I look at him quizzically. I really would like to understand how he came to that conclusion. Fun for who? Not me certainly. So, is torturing an old woman fun for him? That doesn't seem very nice. And, for the most part, Tony is a really nice guy.
Then there are the stairs. He was just plain tickled to send me on his latest stair challenge. Go up one flight, come back down. Go up two flights, come back down ... on and on until I reached the top. I climbed a total of 18 stories! My reward? We rode the elevator down. He thought the whole thing was a blast.
Before the challenge began, I had a pretty good handle on fun.
Fun was a night on the couch with a thin crust spinach pizza and a couple of glasses of wine. Or, picking one of those fun, new hamburger chains and checking out their fries and the quality of the milkshakes. Lingering over a meal with friends ... what's better than good wine, good food and good company? And late-night snacking? Delightful.
Sleeping late was lots of fun. And I couldn't think of a better way to spend a night than watching movies from the comfort of my couch. Naps were fun, too.
It's not like I didn't exercise. Somebody had to get the snacks from the kitchen. And I wasn't completely opposed to stairs. My office is on the fourth floor, but I have lots of meetings on the second floor. I regularly took the stairs down and hitched a ride back up on the elevator. After all, I didn't want to arrive back at my desk all winded from climbing the stairs.
Since meeting Tony, fun has taken on a new meaning.
Some days, after a particularly hard workout, breathing is fun. The first day I could actually run on the treadmill was really fun.
Discovering roasted asparagus makes eating dinner lots of fun, especially on Tuesday nights when I can watch “The Biggest Loser” on TV. Fun and inspiration at the same time.
Playing Wii Boxing is fun ... now that I know some of the moves Tony has taught me. And it's fun to remind people that I have a pretty decent roundhouse kick. Well, I know how to do one. I probably couldn't do any actual damage, but it sure makes me sound tough.
I'm not saying I'm totally buying into Tony's idea of fun, but it's hard to argue with a scale that's trending downward and the increase in energy — more than I've had in decades.
And the best part of life-according-to-Tony? I get Sundays off ... Tony says so. One day I don't have to work out! I get to sleep in. Of course, there are rules. I have to eat well, take my vitamins and drink lots of water. But, no 5 a.m. workout, no boot camp, no stairs.
Finally, fun we can agree on!
• Gerry Alger, editor of the Daily Herald's Niche Publications, has been sitting at a desk for 25 years.