Joining a gym is more than just a lifestyle choice: it could be the health wake-up call you need.
When I joined the gym my aim was to build up my stamina, lose some weight and give some sort of routine to my days. I work from home on a freelance basis, so it's very easy to lose track of time. It turned out joining the gym was a wake-up call for me, health-wise.
While I was signing up as a member, my blood pressure was taken a few times and I was told that perhaps I should go to see a doctor - the reading was rather high. My blood pressure readings have usually been low for the past 15 years at least, so this was a shock to me. I had only moved to Melbourne the year before and had not had a reason to see a doctor so, as a result, hadn't checked my BP for over a year.
Soon after, I found a doctor who monitored my blood pressure for a few days before deciding to put me on medication. She couldn't find any obvious reason for it being high, having done the essential blood tests. When I told her that I had just joined a gym, she encouraged me to use it as often as possible and to get fitter and healthier, but not to overdo it, because of my high blood pressure.
As a result I've made some changes to my diet and eat a lot more healthily, paying attention to my salt intake especially. If I can't make it to the gym, I try to squeeze in some other form of exercise, such as yoga or a walk along the beach. The fact that I hadn't displayed any symptoms of having high blood pressure scared me a little and I try not to think of what would have happened if I hadn't joined the gym and got a diagnosis.
I have to admit that I don't go to the gym as often as I should, as I do travel quite frequently and sometimes get too bogged down with work, but I'm glad I took that first step towards a healthier lifestyle.
The exercise that I enjoy the most is the stationery bicycle. I always do a full workout on it and it has become a lot easier and less tiring for me the more I use it.
