Adventures at the Gym

I'll start by saying that up until three years ago I was never caught dead in a gym. I've lost weight in my healthy past by starving or weird diets but god forbid, never the gym. I actually believed the doctors when they said all your muscles will die and you can not build them back. When I realized I was going to live longer than they thought, I decided they were clueless. I had a bargain with God that if he let me see my kids graduate High School I would give my life to him. We both kept up our parts and so I figured God had more in mind for my life. My muscles were dying mostly in my hands and arms so I decided to try and stay ahead of the illness and work my body.

Gyms are not disabled friendly except for the four blue parking spots, which are always full. I started in the pool with a stretch class for people with a hitch in their get along. They were all over 65 and me being 44 I was never self- conscious in my suit...LOL I moved on to water aerobics and tried not to drown. You see with ALS you have bad balance but in the water holding onto buoys I could really move...Great feeling! I will stiffen if chilled, I mean unable to move stiffen so when fall began to chill the air I stepped in to where I've never gone before...The gym!

The people who were working out saw me coming, walker in tow and gave me overly large smiles that said "she's going to work on these machines?" The managers on the other hand watched me out of the corner of their eyes thinking "lawsuit". I work out on average 1-1/2hrs, three days/week and (knock on wood) I have not had one gym fall. I'm also building some muscles, take that doc!

I am thoroughly entertained by the people, the grunting men working biceps to stay ahead of beer bellies, the guys that look at themselves in the mirror the whole time and the bored retired men that sit and chat but never seem to lift a thing. I love it and I feel like a workout warrior.