I’d been tossing around in my mind joining a gym for several months, but didn’t really know what I wanted or what I was looking for. I just figured I’d walk into a couple of joints an would know the right one when I found it. So when I walked into Desert Fitness – just a few blocks south of us – and spoke with one of the fitness directors there I knew I had found a match. No contracts, unlimited visits with a single monthly rate and a small annual rate if you stayed using it for three months seemed perfect for me.

What locked it in for me was talking with Tony, one of the fitness instructors there. We met for an hour (no charge) and went over my goals, the state of my current health, my diet, and what I was looking to accomplish. I liked the fact he didn’t bat an eye when I said, some kiddingly, that “when I go to Vegas in three months I want the chicks at the Parasol Up bar at Wynn Las Vegas fighting over me and the guys at the Wynn spa amazed at what great shape I’m in”.

Since I hadn’t been in a gym for well over thirty years, I knew how much the equipment had changed, and I’m no dummy – I know that any time you enter a fitness program it’s critical to know how you use the equipment right – not just so you get the most benefits from your workout, but so you don’t hurt yourself in the process. We agreed to an arrangement that wouldn’t break my wallet but would also put me on the right path towards looking good and feeling good about myself. For the next four weeks, my Thursday nights and Saturday and Sunday mornings would be handed over to Tony and the program he would set up for me.

I’m three days in and am just now beginning to revisit the concept of crunches, lunges, and lifting with exercises designed for my upper body, lower body, and core. I’m aching from my shoulders to my knees, but it’s a good hurt – my body and muscles are getting reacquainted with themselves after decades of inattention. At 59, I’m not getting any younger, and I’m determined that I will NOT enter my 60s broken down and filled with aches and pains. It’s not as if I’m overweight or hopelessly out of shape, but, well, I guess yes I am out of shape and I’m excited about taking this step into fitness.