Friday, June 15, 2012

Exercise Psychology

I have a few things on the agenda for the days to come - for instance, the AHA has its own criteria for a healthy diet and diet is included in the risk markers for heart disease.  I am anxious to share these with you.  I want to tell you what you should really worry about with artificial sweeteners (I use them) and I'd like to highlight the greatest advance to preventing cervical cancer (not Gardasil!).

However, my last few posts have been pretty heavy for you and me - so today I will simply share this exchange that occurred at my  university pool.

A man who has become my side by side 'lane mate' friend does a pretty heft workout that involves a lot more than swimming.  He goes off to a corner first and does pushups, he uses the ladder for triceps dips and the diving board for pullups.  He has special gloves he puts on his hands for his laps, uses some type of flotation gadget that goes between his legs for something, employs the kickboard, a jog belt and more.  
I go to the pool twice a week, and often see him on at least one of those days - Thursday - mostly, that is the day I started using the kick board too (he encourages my pitiful progress).  I did not see him for a week or so around the Memorial Day holiday and the day he came back he had even MORE gadgets for his workout.  He had  barbells made out of Styrofoam.  I said, "Wow, pulling out the big guns today."  And he explained that he was trying to make up for his lost days.  I asked him how many days a week he worked out at the pool and he really struggled to answer.  He was stumbling over the words, "3 days".  I laughed and said, "What's that matter?  You know if you say it out loud, then you have to do it?"
To which he replied, "Oh,  you're a psychology professor aren't you?"  Ha Ha!  NO.  Hardly. 

 

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