Comments on Cranky Fitness: Losing Your "Cool"

Stealth stretching at the train station is somethi...

2008-05-03T01:04:00.000-04:00

Stealth stretching at the train station is something I wish was easier! The number of times I have cut short my stretching at the gym to rush to the train, only to find I've got a few minutes wait and then itch to do more stretches!

Actually the other day I was walking down the street, one my calves felt really tight so when I was stopped at the lights I pushed against a pole to stretch it out. Some funny guy kindly asked if I wanted him to push on the other side of it for me (well he thought it was funny)

I loved this! When I have time to do stealth exer...

2008-05-01T22:08:00.000-04:00

I loved this! When I have time to do stealth exercises, I usually just do calf-lift. Like up on my toes, then down, up then down. I can feel the burn after about twenty of them. I always thought I was pulling it off and just a twitch or something, but I think you have made it clear that I probably look really lame. Still, though, I am keeping it up; I think my calves look great! :) If I do say so myself. Oh, and I am all about karaoke. I'm such a loser.

When I'm cycling home from work I often stop into ...

2008-04-29T18:45:00.000-04:00

When I'm cycling home from work I often stop into Tesco (supermarket) in full on biking gear.

I love the sense of superiority I feel browsing the shelves while wearing trouser clips, reflective gloves, goretex jacket and carrying my helmet.

It also inspires me to buy ridiculously healthy things so that I appear to be a complete health nut. Which is a total lie, but who cares?

I am so devastated to be found guilty of the uncoo...

2008-04-29T12:04:00.000-04:00

I am so devastated to be found guilty of the uncool exercising syndrome... Here is an idea for non obvious exercise in a waiting line or other crowded areas... KEGELS!!
What d'ya think of that!

Pfft, I do kettlebell classes (best thing ever - k...

2008-04-29T11:05:00.000-04:00

Pfft, I do kettlebell classes (best thing ever - kicking my ass, and my rugby has improved SO much) at a Crossfit gym with a bunch of crazy in shape boys who are mostly instructors there. I always feel like I look like an idiot in comparison.

At work I hide in the break room in the late afternoon and do push ups sometimes. I'd probably do them more often if I wasn't terrified of being caught.

Hilarious! I especially like how you close your e...

2008-04-29T06:36:00.000-04:00

Hilarious! I especially like how you close your eyes while you stretch so that no one can see you.

I also have the feel stupid when I stretch in the middle of the gym syndrome, and my gym doesn’t have a little stretching area where at least there will be other fellow stretchers. I literally have to find a space where I won’t be in people’s way. Most of the time these spaces are right in front of a treadmill or machine, so that I can enjoy someone watching me while they do their work out. Fun, huh?

For me, I feel most self-conscious when I do an aerobic video and there is someone else besides husband and kids around. Like when I’m at home and my cousin drops by right in the middle of my workout and flops down right on the couch to watch. Right now, I’m staying at my parents’ house and my urge to do exercise videos have dwindles out of existence. Folks, just because the TV is on doesn’t mean you have to watch it!

I avoid the group classes because I am so uncooly ...

2008-04-29T04:27:00.000-04:00

I avoid the group classes because I am so uncooly uncoordinated. I have 3 left feet, and in Pilates I can't do any of the on your tummy moves because I get the worst head rush and have to lay down like I'm playing dead cat. It never fails, the teacher comes over to me, and everyone looks to see who the collapsed class goer is. "Yup, it's me (again)."...lol..Thankfully, there are so many other ways to get exercise and look at least semi-cool.

I think no one in history has ever been as uncool ...

2008-04-29T00:11:00.000-04:00

I think no one in history has ever been as uncool as I, although my story takes place post-exercise. The short version -- after a dance class I got locked out of my car and simultaneously started the bloodiest nose of my life. Being locked out of the car, I had no means to stop/control the bloody nose and it was all over the front of me. So this sweaty chubby girl in bloody leotard and nose still-gushing over the rest of her face runs into the nearest building -- which was a hospital. Everyone thought I was the victim of some crazy accident and tried to take care of me ASAP. I had to explain that I was only looking for a bathroom and some tissues. Such embarrassment!

This is exactly precisely why people hire trainers...

2008-04-28T23:36:00.000-04:00

This is exactly precisely why people hire trainers! First because it's the coolest thing ever to have a trainer. Second, of course, the whole backwards on a treadmill thing. Alone- I might be thrown out of the gym. With a trainer? Coolest thing ever.

My uncool moments are all at-home exercise videos. Even my kids mock and laugh.

Walking into work in pants that won't get you kill...

2008-04-28T22:00:00.000-04:00

Walking into work in pants that won't get you killed on your bike ride to work. Might as well continue and run the stairs to your office because black spandex/lycra is not so professional.

Oh yeah, having to walk my MTB up a fire road and ...

2008-04-28T20:03:00.000-04:00

Oh yeah, having to walk my MTB up a fire road and everyone else is riding by, even people who are obviously older than me. At least my bike is cool.

Then there's trying to do a track stand at a stop light in traffic, and falling off my bike, sideways, slow-ish motion, like Artie Johnson on his tricycle in Laugh In. I land on my feet, but I'm sure it looks really stupid. ;)

Nothing makes me feel more uncool than walking my ...

2008-04-28T17:06:00.000-04:00

Nothing makes me feel more uncool than walking my bike up a hill. I feel the need to yell after everyone who rides by "I don't usually walk. My tires are low / my brakes are rubbing / I've ridden a really long way."

Right now, as I type, I have a freaky, streaky sun...

2008-04-28T16:25:00.000-04:00

Right now, as I type, I have a freaky, streaky sunburn on my arms and shoulders. We went for a bike ride yesterday, and I used spray-on sunscreen. Obviously, I missed a few spots, because my arms and shoulders resemble a candy cane. (Hey, maybe I could make a few extra bucks standing outside a barber shop and slowly twirling? May as well get some use out of this ridiculous look!)

Well I am for one am a closet exerciser- I don't l...

2008-04-28T16:12:00.000-04:00

Well I am for one am a closet exerciser- I don't like people to see me exerting myself for fear that I look dumb or I'm doing something wrong (hello- there is totally a wrong way to walk!!)

So I prefer my treadmill. In the basement. Alone. In the dark. Where only the dogs can laugh

LOL

I'm supposed to be cool? I must not have gotten t...

2008-04-28T14:58:00.000-04:00

I'm supposed to be cool? I must not have gotten the memo.

I always feel uncool at the university rec center, but that's because I always feel old and out of fashion when I'm surrounded by kids half my age. But I never feel like exercise itself is supposed to make me hip or unhip.

Clearly I am NOT cool... :-(

Ah yes...kareoke syndrome...I was singing along to...

2008-04-28T13:32:00.000-04:00

Ah yes...kareoke syndrome...I was singing along to some music a few days ago on a run and when I went to turn around I realised there was a few people right behind me...and they'd listened to my singing for the whole time. I wanted to apologise to them but they just grinned and kept on past me.
There's also the "need to fart while running" thing that only seems to occur when there is someone near me to hear me.
*eep*

I do my exercising in the privacy of my apartment,...

2008-04-28T13:02:00.000-04:00

I do my exercising in the privacy of my apartment, well, except for the bicycling. Living through winters in Canada tends to inure you to how dorky you look wearing a helmet, or if you have to go into a store, carrying a helmet, with helmet hair and sweat streaming and a very red face.

I'm so guilty of trying to nonchalantly exercise a...

2008-04-28T12:42:00.000-04:00

I'm so guilty of trying to nonchalantly exercise at bus stops and similar. But that's okay, because we're cool! Everyone else wants to be just like all of us:)

OK, now I have coffee all over my screen..crabby -...

2008-04-28T12:39:00.000-04:00

OK, now I have coffee all over my screen..
crabby - my high school gym teacher described racewalking by encouraging us to act like we had the runs - clench the butt and get to the john as quickly as possible. I've never been able to shake the connection, but boy is it great exercise!

katieo - too true, all of the above. I'm never really a fan of partner work in classes (space issues, me?) but especially when I've hairy/sweaty/uncoordinated...

Ok, I won't hijack your comments section with all ...

2008-04-28T12:19:00.000-04:00

Ok, I won't hijack your comments section with all the ways I have looked like an idiot while exercising. I sing, sometimes loudly, while running. At the minimum, I'm always lip-synching. (It's really too bad I don't look like any famous rock stars...I've got all the lyrics down...of every song on my iPod...I could double at any moment for any one of them...janet, britney, tom jones...)

I've (ahem) had flatulence issues in yoga. There is no way that could be, in any way, construed as "uncool as the new cool" btw. I've had a spin teacher actually get off her bike come over to me and ask if I was ok because I looked like I was going to be sick and was I sure I wanted to stay through the rest of class (while the mic was still on). Thanks, but yeah, I'm fine. And why is it the days we need a partner in our pump class are the days I haven't shaved my legs? I actually think if there's a quota of embarrassing and uncool experiences to be had at the gym, I've taken up so many most of you shouldn't have to worry.

sorry, consider yourself hijacked.

Ummm, I feel uncool all the time. Does that count...

2008-04-28T12:14:00.000-04:00

Ummm, I feel uncool all the time. Does that count?

"There seems to be no way to race-walk without loo...

2008-04-28T11:56:00.000-04:00

"There seems to be no way to race-walk without looking simultaneously prissy and deranged."

I just about wet my pants laughing--I feel the same way!!

I have absolutely no shame when it comes to either ridiculous exercises or bad karaoke. I just go for it...

I can relate to the awkwardness of trying new thin...

2008-04-28T10:58:00.000-04:00

I can relate to the awkwardness of trying new things at a gym. I circle and circle a machine I want to try watching others do it. They probably think I'm leering at them but, really, I'm just trying to see how it works.

Than, I leer at them.

A. I have trouble using the elliptical with my iPo...

2008-04-28T10:55:00.000-04:00

A. I have trouble using the elliptical with my iPod with out somehow spazzing out and knocking it off the ipod holdy thing and the iPod falling out of it's protective case and skidding across the floor and one of the trainers wandering around sees it before I can go and get it and pretend it never happened. The headphone plug also generally hits me in the face when this happens me. I swear, one day I'm going to duct tape the iPod to the holdy thing.

B. I hate step aerobics and I know I look like the biggest idiot when I do the class because I'm a world class klutz and I am either tripping over the bench or I am doing the moves awkwardly so I do not fall off the bench. And even if I was graceful, I'd feel like the world's biggest idiot when I am doing step. I hate step. I wish there was another aerobics class at that time instead.

All good stuff! I need to start paying more attent...

2008-04-28T10:36:00.000-04:00

All good stuff! I need to start paying more attention. I do feel cool about staying fit and working out, but usually when I'm finished.

Most of the folks at the fitness center are in the middle of the bell curve, but we do have the extremes :-)

Dr. J