Working Out

So I joined a gym. Every time I say that, I feel like I'm apologizing for something. The thing is, I have this prejudice against gyms, and I think I always have. Every other gym I've gone to has really done nothing but try to take my money and not pay attention to my actual fitness.

Well, this gym is a little different. They still want to take my money, but they are committed to helping me achieve my fitness goals. I get one free personal training session a month, as well as a consultation with a nurse every six weeks or so. It's not like getting a personal trainer every day, but really all I need are some small goals to work up to.

Anyway, I had my nurse appointment today and my measurements taken. Nothing I'm surprised about...I knew I was overweight; I could feel it, but now I have it in black and white. And it's just a little more motivation for me.

But what surprises me (still) is the overwhelming amount of pushiness in the sales tactics. I felt like I was buying a used car. The woman at the front desk didn't give me any prices, and when the salesman started showing me around, belittling my knowledge of the body, and then he pulled me into his office to "find out more about me and my fitness goals," i.e., how much money he could squeeze out of me. About halfway through the meeting, I pointed out how much this felt like I was buying a used car, and the salesman got very defensive. Did I strike a nerve? So I pulled the "I'm a dumb girl and I can't make a decision without my boyfriend" move and told him there was no way I could pay the amount of money he was asking, and I'd have to leave and come back at a later time with Ray (I almost wish I had done that, just to see Ray bully this guy around).

That's when I really started to see this guy sweat. He didn't want me to leave without signing anything, so I got a trial membership with a discount offer good for a week. I talked it over with Ray, and we both decided it actually WAS worth the exorbitant amount of money they were asking for (especially with the discount), and I came back today to pay the rest.

They also gave me a free visit to their "sports doctor," who, as it turns out, is actually a chiropractor. I was treated to a neato massage in this heated water/jet/bed thingy (very nice), and then ushered into a room to watch a 4-minute video about subluxation (you know, if you don't have chiropractic treatment now, you could suffer all sorts of painful things, even DEATH). The chiropractor then came in, asked some questions, and then pronounced that I did, indeed, need a chiropractic adjustment. Since I don't have insurance, she said, she'd give me a discount and only charge me $32 a visit.

What a crock!!! Granted, maybe I DO need a chiropractic adjustment. I'm not completely closed-minded to the possibility. But to use such scare tactics as that video and posters in the exam room saying "injury, pain, death" with a picture of a crooked spine on the wall is completely reprehensible. If you have to resort to that kind of a sales technique, you must think I'm entirely idiotic. And I promise you, I am not. Not entirely, that is.