They have these new stair machines which are like mini down escalators with four steps. I decided to try it out. As I stood there sweating like a pig, climbing this endless staircase to nowhere and looking at some banal bar graph on the screen, it suddenly came to me. What...in...the...hell...am...I...doing.

See?
 
Next time ask me first.

I could have saved myself a fortune in leotards. 

Gyms seem like an analogy to modern life. You pedal and pedal and never get anywhere.
 
I look at the rows of yuppies on treadmills and wonder how many of them pay somebody else to mow their lawn for them.

I love the health club and go regularly. I used to jog, but my knees and back can't handle it any more. I mow my own yard by the way as well. My biggest problem is that I sit behind a desk all day long and need to get some sort of exercise. With the Summers being so hot here in Texas, the club has worked out very well for me. Plus, the scenery ain't all that bad.

bitflipper
Gyms seem like an analogy to modern life. You pedal and pedal and never get anywhere.
 
I look at the rows of yuppies on treadmills and wonder how many of them pay somebody else to mow their lawn for them.

I've certainly done quite nicely out of their dogs.
 
The only way I can endure the gym is by taking the opportunity to listen to music, a pod cast or audiobook. It seems to keep me in good shape. I see people on those treadmills doing nothing though - no TV, no book, no headphones - and I wonder what in the hell they're thinking about. Kind of like when cats just stare into space.

Well, we drink without being thirsty, eat without being hungry (and far more than we'd actually need),  smoke, drink alcohol, spend hours staring at fictional events on a screen... At that rate, as weird as it is from an outsider's perspective, spending time in the gym is at least good for you.
 
I've been off for two weeks and I can't wait to go back - just hoping that the soreness from the accident will not interfere. Though it's easy for one's mind to wonder off, with a bit of discipline, the gym can be a place of intense focus, even if not on the higher order of ideas.
 
But yeah, I also have some of those "what the heck am I doing" moments...
 
 

sharke

bitflipper
Gyms seem like an analogy to modern life. You pedal and pedal and never get anywhere.
 
I look at the rows of yuppies on treadmills and wonder how many of them pay somebody else to mow their lawn for them.

I've certainly done quite nicely out of their dogs.
 
The only way I can endure the gym is by taking the opportunity to listen to music, a pod cast or audiobook. It seems to keep me in good shape. I see people on those treadmills doing nothing though - no TV, no book, no headphones - and I wonder what in the hell they're thinking about. Kind of like when cats just stare into space.

Agreed, Sharke....music on my iPhone is a must.

I get my exercise running around in circles and jumping to conclusions.

craigb
I get my exercise running around in circles and jumping to conclusions.

Skipping upgrades can also be quite healthy.