The biggest change for me the past couple of weeks was that I went to the pool and "renewed" my year membership there. I have been a complaining swimmer for nearly 10 years, not really liking the exercise and the time it took each day but grudging admitting that I needed to keep exercising... When Covid19 hit, the pool was closed for two months and when they reopened in May I wasn't thrilled about going back. I had rather enjoyed my justifiable vacation from swimming!
I went back to the pool two more times but found the new routine that the pool staff had had to instill rather annoying. Get your temperature taken when arriving in the lobby, get an ASSIGNED locker (rather than just grabbing one in the area you liked), being watched over by the lifeguards like in a prison camp and being warned about water-walking too close to other pool users and scolded for having any sort of conversation with anyone while in the pool area. (Also the sauna and mist sauna were closed down but that didn't really affect me as I didn't use the saunas.) After the pool the bathing facilities were allowing only a limited number of people in the area at a time which meant standing around wet and cold if too many people were using them. Swimming had never been FUN for me but it became rather an aggravation! When my membership ran out I didn't bother to renew it and Tetsu continued to go alone just to use the bathing facilities. He doesn't like doing exercise anymore than I do but he loves the deep hot bath.
So I've enjoyed having nearly two extra hours of non-swimming time all these 6 months. That's 20 minutes to get there, 10 minutes to change and register, 30 minutes of swimming, 20 minutes of bathing and changing, and 20 minutes to get back home. Think of all I can do at home! Though probably I really wasn't that time efficient.
HOWEVER! I also stopped recording my walking steps around this time (my mentality has been "I'm 65. I don't want to spend my days counting calories and tracking exercise time. Give me a break!") and then two weeks ago I had that slipped disc... Sigh. And Tetsu CLAIMED that my lack of swimming was a deciding factor in poor muscle tone leading to the sudden week of incapacitation.
"OKAY! I'LL GO BACK TO THE POOL!"
Despite the fact that I may be heading to the States in the near future I decided I needed to commit myself to this exercise that I really don't much like. Well, we all have to occasionally do things we don't like. Get over it.
I was welcomed back by many of my former pool acquaintances who have stayed steady at the pool all these months but of course there are quite a few people that like me have faded away when their membership ran out. The lifeguards aren't quite as control minded as they were in May and some chatting is allowed though the saunas still are not open. Most of the regulars advise staying away from the pool on the weekends when out-of-towners and non-regulars usually come (and it is more crowded with families) so that will be our strategy from now on. And because I am back swimming, Tetsu has returned to the pool area to water-walk so he is getting more exercise again.
Good for you, for getting back into swimming! I admire your perseverance. I'm glad the pool is a little more back to its more relaxed normal. And how fun to look forward to your trip to the U.S.
ReplyDeleteI'm feeling the same way about exercise. The nice thing is, when you are finished with your pool routine it is 24 hours before you have to do it again.
ReplyDeleteOh, I know how you feel. My exercise is keeping up with all of the dogs, carrying/stacking logs, running up and down stairs in a home with four levels.... Yep, there is plenty of exercise to be had here. I would go nuts if I had to go to an organized exercise program.
ReplyDeleteThe thing about exercise is that it is nice AFTER the work out. Both body and mind appreciate that you push yourself. I also believe swimming is good exercise for a sore/weak back.
ReplyDeleteQueenie
I try to do an hour walk each day, but sometimes it slips my mind and I forget to do it. I must get more organised but in lockdown it’s hard to do the same walk each day. Now lockdown has lifted I must....
ReplyDelete