The Gym routine

I mentioned in a previous post that I had joined a gym, and had started going a few days a week.  So, today I thought I’d share a little more about that.

After consulting with my cardiologist and getting his approval, as well as the required referral for the program I wanted to get into, I joined the Parkview Health and Fitness center near my home.  It’s a great facility located within a mile or so of my place; the staff and trainers are all very nice, and the amenities are pretty nice too.   It’s been a month since I joined, and so far I think I like it, and I can feel a bit of a difference in how I feel.   I try to go about 3 times a week, sometimes less depending on how I’m feeling that day.

On the days that I do make it to the gym, I follow a fairly structured cardio routine that was devised by the trainers based on recommendations from my doctor.  That routine consists of 3 stages: a warm-up stage, a work out stage, and a stretching/cool down stage.

My warm-up routine is pretty simple.  It’s just 3 to 5 laps around the indoor walking track to get my heart rate up and my muscles ready to workout.  Once I’ve completed the warm-up, I move on to the real workout.

As I said, the routine I follow is strictly limited to cardio only.  We are focusing on strengthening my heart, and getting it working better.  Walking, bicycling, stair climbing, etc… are all forms of cardiovascular exercise.  And not surprisingly, are the three main components to my routine.  I start out walking on a treadmill for 10 minutes, then spend another 10 minutes on a recumbent bike, and finally another 10 minutes on a step machine.  It’s a pretty simple routine, but it does the job.   Finally, I finish the session with a little stretching and cool down period.

Oh, I mentioned that this is a “monitored” program.  Let me explain it a little bit.   Part of the program that I’m in involves monitoring my heart rate and blood pressure before, during, and after my workout.   The gym sends that information to my doctor every so often so he can evaluate my progress.  That’s what I meant when I said “monitored program”.

So yeah, that’s one of the many activities that seem to take up all of my time these days.  Just keep rolling right along.

Until next time, Keep Fighting It and Rock On!