I've been going to the gym a lot lately in an effort to lose some extra poundage, and by the gym, I mean Curves.
I have mixed feelings about Curves. On one hand, it's a good workout, and you know you're working all the major muscle areas, and you just go do it, you don't even have to think about it. Half an hour, and boom, you're done.
But, I hate the way they're constantly trying to get you to buy Curves crap. They've always got displays with bags, and nutritional supplements, and shirts, MY GOD, the shirts (how many workout shirts does one person need?), basically a whole bunch of crap which you MUST buy in order to lose weight! And I also hate the overly friendly staff who are always asking you how you are, and what are your plans for the weekend. Yes, there is nothing I like better than to divulge the intimate details of my life to a stranger while sweat drips off my forehead and I gasp for air. Strangely enough though, now that the staff know me, I don't get those questions anymore. They learn quickly. And then there's all the lame gimmicky games they try to encourage people to play. Wear purple socks on Monday, and you can enter to win a prize (which usually consists of leftover Curves merchandise which they couldn't unload on anyone). Oooh, yay. Sign me up.
But here's the thing. In addition to all the usual things that annoy me about Curves, I now have to deal with Sweaty Arms Lady (SAL).
SAL has unfortunately taken to coming at the same time as me. And when I say this Lady has sweaty arms, you have no idea. Her arms glisten in the fluorescent lights. I have seen rivulets of moisture coursing down over her elbows. I have never seen anything like it.
To her credit, she does haul around a towel with her and sometimes gives the machine a wipe when she's done. Unfortunately, on the two arm machines, you insert your arms between two round pads which are not made of easily wipeable vinyl, but instead are made of a spongy substance. This of course cannot be wiped off, and merely absorbs SAL's sweat, only to ooze it out later on whatever poor girl uses the machine after her (and probably anybody who uses it for the next hour... her arms are really sweaty). So I'm totally disgusted and I'm sure I cringe whenever I slip my arms in the the machine. I feel bad about it, because it's great she's working hard, but why her arms? I sweat too, but it's mostly confined to my forehead and between my shoulder blades and thus does not get on any of the machines.
So I'm not sure what to do. Due to their stupid hours, I can't really change my workout times, but I'm not sure how much longer I can keep doing this. Perhaps it's time to find an alternate venue.
