All Eyes On Me

It looks like all of the shy people at the gym are finally coming out of their shell. I've noticed one thing about most people at the gym; even though they want to approach me, they won't. They usually smile, or occasionally wave, or surprise me with an English greeting, but they won't talk to me beyond that. When they finally do start a conversation with me, I realize that they've been observing me for a while. After weeks of always seeing one woman in the locker room, she finally spoke to me. She commented on the fact that I was there earlier than usual. It surprised me that she more or less knew my schedule, because although I noticed her, I wouldn't have been able to tell you when it was that I saw her. Apparently, she's not the only one that's been watching. Last Friday, one woman started to chat with me after an aerobics class. I was in the stretching room on one of the mats, and she sat down near me. I had met her before, and had discovered that she spoke English. So, we were chatting about the class. Our conversation, or the fact that we were having a conversation, became a magnet for curious bystanders. Next thing I knew, there was a group of five Japanese people “stretching” around me, as they worked their way into the conversation and proceeded to ask me all kinds of questions. After what felt like an informal Q&A session, they invited me try the exercise classes they attend. I guess I passed their screening. :p Most interestingly, I discovered that some of them had been observing me for weeks, evident by their comments regarding my performance in Zumba class. A former JET at the pre-departure orientation in Los Angeles had said that someone is always watching you when you're a foreigner in Japan. I couldn't agree more.

I'm becoming “less intimidating” to approach, because I've been trying more classes. People find it easier to talk to me, because we can talk about the class. If I hadn't gone to the Friday aerobics class a second time, I wouldn't have found myself on that mat, talking to my English speaking gym buddy. Funny thing is, I almost didn't attend the first class. The Friday that I tried the first class, I almost didn't make it to the gym. The whole fifteen-minute ride home from school, I was debating whether I should go or not. It was the classic struggle of “I'm tired, but if I go I'll feel energized after my workout, but I'm tired, but...” And that's how my thoughts circled in my head. I took the long way home to buy more time. I arrived at the intersection where turning left would mean going home, and going straight would mean heading to the gym. I realized that I would probably sit in front of my computer and eat chocolate if I went home, so I went straight. There's no turning back when you follow the yellow brick road.

On days when I barely find the drive to get to the gym, it's hard to find the self-motivation to challenge myself on the treadmill. When I don't have the motivation to push myself, I like to join a group exercise class. Nothing pushes me more than trying not to look like an idiot in a room full of fit people. So that Friday, I noticed that an aerobics class was starting. I didn't know what level it was, but I decided to try it. Why? Honestly, because the instructor had an amazingly toned body. Fit people make me want to be more fit. Ten minutes into the class, I could see why she had those lean muscles. The class was tough! There were several moments where I couldn't keep up with the strengthening exercises. When the class was over, I was covered in sweat. Now, I don't do aerobics for a living, and I could never look like the instructor anyways (thanks a lot genetics!), but you bet I'll be in the class every Friday. I'll just have to deal with the sore muscles... I've been sore ever since the first class haha. After the aerobics class, there's a yoga class in the same room. Both times, I've considered joining, but one gym challenge a day is enough. I don't want to spread myself too thin. [Param push!]

Now that I've survived two Fridays of aerobics, I'm going to try some of the classes my new gym buddies suggested. I love having this new support group. Not to mention, it's a nice occasion (to try) to speak Japanese.

Hopefully, I'll stick to the classes and not be discouraged by the cold weather. The truth is, I've started to embrace cabin fever, and sitting in my warm apartment with chocolate in hand doesn't sound so bad... :p

Stay tuned!