enter Anytime Fitness

I've done something I always assumed I'd never do: joined a [gym|fitness center].

This just never seemed like my sort of thing. I associated them with jockstrap football players like my brother, then later heard the universal story of joining one on some draconian contract only to never actually go and work out.

But I'm 37 now, well-fed and overweight. Sure, I can bike or walk in the hills, go play golf, or take a swim, but I haven't been really doing what needs doing to get and stay fit.

In between the workday and the commute, the harsh reality is that when I finally get out of the car at the end of the day, my motivation is drained.

A friend of mine who fell into the "sign contract but don't work out" trap a while back had brought my attention to Anytime Fitness, and I checked out the location near the office a few days back at lunch.

After a really brief look-around, I signed up. The next afternoon I showed up with a list of things I can already do and one of fitness goals. The manager looked at this and went through a session orienting me to the equipment and writing up a workout plan I can follow.

In a month, I'll be able to go to any Anytime Fitness location at any time day or night, a few of which are near my home (so I don't have to go all the way to Madison to work out, which is out of the question).

I haven't checked out these locations, and understand that there's considerable variation from location to location. But the one by the office is pretty nice in my book. I can watch the golf channel (or whatever else is on cable) while doing cardiovascular work, which is fine by me. And the prospect of an on-site shower expands my options.

I have some ideas in my head about how best to get into a workout routine, but I'll have to see how the realities of my situation play out.

Of immediate interest is the prospect of stopping for a workout while the rest of the cagers ride out the evening commute. But I may have to check out some sessions during lunch to see if this suits me. I often go out to lunch just to escape the office at lunch, so if I can hit the stationary bike and a shower instead on some of these occasions, I may even be able to save a little cash.

We'll see. The real trick is to get into a workout habit, so that's my most immediate goal.