Working out is hard work!

Given the title of the post, I imagine you're thinking that getting healthy is hard due to... well, working out. Not exactly...

My new employer has an incredible workout facility which has state-of-the-art equipment including video StairMasters and those walk-a-thons that allow you to stroll in place rather down a trail in the park or around a pond. It also has free-weights and those weight machines that target that one part of the body you didn't know needed to be exercised.

It's also free, usually empty, and has the several on-sight trainers that will teach you why you need to use that machine to exercise that one muscle you didn't know existed. I'm one who thinks working out with co-workers is just a little too odd, but I've gone down at various times of the day, including morning, lunch and late afternoon and it's dead empty except for the trainers who seem marginally happy to see me when they they look up from browsing the Internet and realize I'm just there to check out the gym.

Today I decided to go for the deep dive... eating healthy AND working out. It starts off well by going down to the company cafeteria and getting a healthy oatmeal breakfast and OJ followed by a lunch of salad with a side of fruit. Both were quite filling, definitely tasty and (slightly) subsidized by the company - thanks boss! I go down to the gym around 2:00 (I ate quickly to make up for the gym time... really... no really... no, really I'm serious) to continue on my journey of healthiness.

Apparently there are forms to fill out to get healthy... three of them to be exact. One is a general three pager on my physical condition (does future state count?), my goals (see future state), my eating habits (I'm starting with today), any medications I'm on (none), and which body-building competitions I'm competed in for the last five years (no comment).

The second form was approval from my doctor to participate in the company-required evaluation by the trainers... I'm guessing it's their way of making sure they can't be sued if I keel over and die from walking on a treadmill for five minutes while being evaluated.  On the plus side, I think this opens up a potential lawsuit for the doctor who signed it.

Finally the last form is approval from my supervisor to use the facility. I am a little perplexed by this one - why would my boss need to approve me getting healthy?  I'm also not sure who signed the CEOs form, although he might still be getting his doctors approval to be tested by the trainers for all I know.

In any event I now understand why the gym is empty...