There were numerous other trainers in the years to follow. Perky Katrina introduced me to tomato sauce without sugar or corn syrup (yes, most of them have those ingredients) and ground flax seed to help lower my cholesterol. (Despite my best efforts, I still ended up on medication. They say it’s genetic.) Newby Michelle never turned up for our second appointment and did not return my call. (Did I have bad breath? Oh well, the gym did give me an extra free session for my trouble). Jackie was working out well until she had to return home for a week to help a relative who had been in an accident and became moody, uncommunicative and a less competent trainer when she returned to work. (She never wanted to discuss who she was helping and what had happened to them). And there was Kimberly who was quite nice, but focused our sessions on using a foam roll to stretch me, rather than delivering the cardio workouts I told her I needed.
Now I am with Paula and am quite happy. She is really working me into a sweat, yet offers me a great variety of exercises that are not endlessly repeated. She is friendly, but keeps chatting during our sessions to a minimum. She seems to like me and occasionally e-mails me. But she is young, attractive and destined to move on at any time. So I am enjoying it while I can.
The bottom line is that after going through all my trainers, I have developed from a person who did not regularly exercise, into one who goes to the gym five days a week , when possible, and usually has a good walk on hills on off days. Sometimes my visits are short, but going to the gym is now part of my regular routine. I don’t always feel like going, but once I’m there I’m always glad I went. I actually feel something missing from my life when I don’t go to the gym. I feel proud of myself for taking the time to get dressed, drive to the gym, park my car and walk in for a class or a training session or even fifteen minutes on the treadmill, because many of my peers aren’t. I know I am doing the most I can to preserve my future health.
When I recently bumped into a high school acquaintance, my first thought upon seeing her was, “Boy, she sure doesn’t go to the gym.” She was not grossly overweight, but her posture was poor and her demeanor conveyed inactivity. Hopefully, when my old friends see me, they think, “She’s in great shape!”
