Three months of the gym, and still sucking in air. Nobody is more surprised than I am that my fitness quest hasn’t snuffed me yet. I prepaid for a year, and I hope to stick with it if I survive.

Going in twice a week is likely a minimal approach to finding a more healthy self, but laziness is my strong suit, and procrastination rules my existence. I’m damned proud that I’m hanging in there and still giving it a shot.

I’ve learned that “gym life” seems to mean vastly different things to each member. There are the young men and women who seem to be there to socialize, and by their own admission look better for their current and potential partners. Then, there are many other people ranging from middle-aged housewives and possible shift workers, to geezers who strike me as maybe having nowhere else to go. Possibly they paid their money and are taking their ride. I noticed that the coldest days of winter brought in the most apparently retired folks. The heat is always on, and there are plenty of people to hang with, so I get it. Turn the heat down, lock the house, and go to the gym. I bet the hot summer months will be similar. Air-conditioned comfort and cronies to socialize with while saving a ton of money at home.

Actually, it seems like most of the members are there for the same reasons I am. Those reasons are better cardiovascular health, weight loss, and a more enhanced sense of well-being. They seem to be folks like Meg and me, who come and go on a purposeful mission to work out and get on with their day. That said, whatever reasons people have for going to the gym it feels like they’re on the right track. It can’t hurt to try to improve your health, strength, aerobic fitness, agility, and endurance, can it?

Those observations aside, I see small improvements in my own physical abilities. At first, I was easily winded, my muscles were weary by the end of each session, and in a half-hour I was ready to leave. As my third month in the gym concluded, I realized that I was working out longer, more vigorously, and with much less fatigue after the sessions. That’s improvement that I need and welcome. Who knows if it’s extending my lifespan, but it’s making doing yard work a lot easier this season. I’m going to hang in there to see what happens.

I’ll keep you posted.