Workin' on my fitness

I *attempted* (key word) to play badminton with my students yesterday.

There are no videos of this. On purpose. :)

I haven't played badminton since gym class during my junior year of high school. So it's been a while. I used that as my excuse for why I have issues with the sport.

But the truth is that I'm athletically-challenged. Racquets, bats, balls, discs, clubs -- it doesn't matter. If it requires hand-eye coordination, I'm going to struggle.

The good news is that despite my complete inability to serve the stubborn birdie, I still had a lot of fun. I just couldn't help but laugh at myself. The bad news (or maybe it's not so bad) is that my students also couldn't help but laugh at me as they witnessed my losing battle with the birdie! I may not have contributed many points, but at least I provided some entertainment. Score!

I continued the day in a spirit of amusement and athletics.

With an open mind, a smile on my face and an athletic suit on my body, I ventured after work to a somewhat intimidating place...

The Gym.

I figured that it's about time for me to start workin' on my fitness. Now is the best time of year to go to the gym. It's so cold outside that I try to avoid walking anywhere, which isn't good. I sit too much.

So I enjoyed my nice (warm!) walk around the track, followed by a lovely time riding a stationary bike while reading a good book.

But before I could do these heart-healthy activities, I had to go through an orientation on how to use the machines in the training room. That's what was amusing.

I had three staff people there to help me understand the equipment. None of them spoke English, which seemed to flustered them a bit. I think there were three of them so they could offer each other support!

It wasn't really a problem because I learned a long time ago to just smile, nod and say "OK." It truly makes things easier. However, I really did understand (most of) what my three "personal trainers" said. Besides, I've used gym equipment before. (Shocking, I know.)

I'm not sure how often I'll go visit my new friends/trainers at the gym. I'll definitely be back, though.

I need to work on my badminton skills...