Like a kid in a sweet shop...

Well, whoever'd have thought it. The gym we've started going to has opened up a whole new world of entertainment, and, a little surprisingly, it isn't based on cardio stuff we've done before, although we usually warm up and down using a rower or cross-trainer (my 'spotty dog' walker of old).

No, the focus this time is firmly on weight training (also called resistance training) and, boy, is it great fun. Each time we've visited the gym, which has been every couple of days recently, we've discovered 'new' bits of kit we've never seen before.

It really is like being let loose in a sweet shop. Should I give this one a try, or maybe that one, but then... oooh, look at this thingy over here - what does that do? Decisions, decisions.

Sometimes it's blindingly obvious what the 'thing' is for and not too taxing to figure out how to use it (some come with useful diagrams too), but sometimes it's rather more like a journey into the unknown. We've, thankfully, had a fair amount of guidance from other gym users.

Now this diversity of delights is a great thing in one respect, but a complete pain in the bum (no, not a literal one) in another. It has been all too easy to get utterly carried away 'trying' things. Each time we go we're staying longer, and longer, and... you get the picture. See, what we haven't done yet is settle on a sensible, sustainable circuit which gives us most bang for our buck.

What I mean by that is that we decided beforehand that we want to work (albeit relatively gently to begin with) the whole of our bodies. That is, use a variety of different machines to target all our muscle groups in a single session. But - and here's the important bit - without overdoing things and without that session taking several hours (that definitely wouldn't be sustainable if I do ever get a full time job).

I know, it's early days, and we are probably doing the right thing by exploring our options. We have already settled on a few machines we definitely want to continue using. Mostly we agree, though there are a few that lovely hubby is happy using but that I detest, and vice versa. We will figure it out at some point, and then we'll have a template to work with and can think about what 'progress' might look like.

So it's onwards, and hopefully upwards too.

Now pardon me if this is TMI, but there have been a few giggles along the way. The gym has a vibration trainer (a power plate I think it's called). I may have mentioned in the past that I have a prolapsed bladder - I still do physio exercises to keep it under control (mostly). This prolapse (a.k.a. my 'wee problem') occasionally causes me to leak a little. Think coughing, laughing, tripping up... I had expected that using some of the bits of apparatus might trigger the odd leak, given the exertion. Actually, I've been really pleased that this hasn't been an issue. Until, that is, I stood on the vibrating doodah and hit the 'go' button. Ooops! Instant reaction = game over for the day. Hmmm, don't think this one will become part of the routine - so glad I carry a spare pair of knickers!