Watch out for the Cross Trainer!

One of my goals is to lose some weight and get healthier, toned, and fitter. My local gym was having an amazing special, so I joined up with my eldest daughter. We committed to go at least three times a week – and for the most part, we have. This was my first time at a gym, and the scene made me feel a little intimidated. On my first day, I was shown each section by the gym instructor and given an exercise plan for completing a circuit using the weights and machines. His closing comment was that after weight exercises, I should go over and do half an hour of cardio workout using some of the equipment. There was all the usual equipment - exercise bikes, treadmills, and my personal favorite, the rowing machine.

Among all these machines was the cross trainer. I had never used a cross-trainer, but after a few days of attending the gym and improving my fitness (and confidence), I thought I would have a go. I stepped on the cross-trainer and was faced with different buttons and levels. A little unsure at what level to start with,  I thought I would check out what level the guy next to me was on. He was about 80 years old; I saw the level he was working at and thought that would be a good starting point – after all, the guy was 80, so surely I could do better than him! On the other side of me was a lady who looked to be his wife around the same age. She was at the same level, which convinced me I should start there and work my way up.

I set the level, and off I went. After a whole three minutes – yes, three minutes – my heart was pounding, I was out of breath, and I could feel myself about to collapse. At about 6 minutes, I stopped the machine and sat down on a step at the end of it, gasping for air. My daughter came over looking very concerned that I was about to have a heart attack. The attendant at the front counter was leaning over the desk, phone in hand, ready to call an ambulance!

I wasn’t having a heart attack; there was nothing wrong with me – except that I couldn’t keep up with a couple of 80-year-olds in a gym!

I headed home my ego damaged, my daughter (and my wife once my daughter had relayed the story to her) in hysterics at my being done in by a couple of 80-year-olds, and a new determination to head back to the rowing machine and treadmills, vowing never to go near another cross-trainer in my life!

As I reflected on this experience, I got to thinking about life. I wasn’t ready for what it needed when I got on that cross-trainer. I hadn’t done the preparation work to be at the level I tried to exercise at. Life is like that. We go through life, and it throws us curve balls that knock us off our feet. Maybe it is at school or work, and we face the challenge of dealing with difficult peers or work we find too challenging. Perhaps it is in our marriage as we try to work out how a relationship really works, and who is this person I married? Maybe it is raising kids and realizing that all the books say something different, and none of them seem to suit your situation anyway, and what is a good parent? It could be dealing with rent or mortgage payments, car payments, school bills, and all the rest.

These things throw us off balance, get our hearts racing, and leave us overwhelmed. And when we look next door, and the person there seems to be cruising through, we wonder what we did wrong.

At times like this, it is important to step back and look at what we are trying to achieve. Examine your goals. Are they realistic, or do they need adjusting to meet changing circumstances? Have you bitten off more than you can chew? Are you like me on the cross-trainer and set the next step out of reach? Had I started the cross-trainer on a lower level, I could have built my fitness and increased the intensity over time when I was more prepared. ?Look at your goals. Do you need to aim for a lower level in the short term to achieve a higher level in the long term?

If you are struggling financially, can you do a second job or short-term contract to get you through the tough times? If your marriage is under pressure, what little can you do to show your partner you appreciate them and start healing the rift?

It is important to re-evaluate your goals and actions and adjust to the changes around you. It is better to take a bit more time to achieve your goal than it is to be lying flat on the floor going nowhere because you set the next level too high.

You were made to achieve your dreams, but sometimes, we need to adjust the steps to get there. Take the time to examine your next steps and adapt to the changes around you, and whatever you do - watch out for the cross-trainer!

For resources to help you achieve your goals, go to philkinney.com