Home Gym

For the past two weeks I've become a workout hermit, choosing to stay at home rather than travel to the gym. And no, my latest nemesis the Golf Channel Watching Recumbent-Bike Dude didn't punch me in the gut for the remote while I was hefting a mighty curl although I suspect he pondered the thought once or twice. I've just decided I like the amenities at home better than at the gym. Better food, a shower massager, free to watch whatever I want and as loud as I want. As I wipe down all of the equipment I'm pretty sure there isn't any antibiotic-resistant staph infectious MRSA in my home gym. Not that there was any at the gym because it was only me and my nemesis working out there in the mornings.

Wiping down equipment is the courteous and healthy thing to do. It also builds huge karma points but I only saw once in my three years at the gym someone take the time to wipe down the equipment. According to Pat Crocker, DO, medical chief of staff for the Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas emergency department, during 2006, the emergency departments associated with the Seton Family of Hospitals confirmed about 3,700 MRSA infections. A nationwide increase in antibiotic-resistant staph infections, including some in the Central Texas area, may be of concern to area residents, especially those who participate in contact activities, such as sports, play or even hugging. There's either quite a lot of unprotected hugging going on or people just aren't wiping down their equipment.

I guess one could have a home gym even if they did a push up on a bare floor but that's really not the case now is it? You have to have stuff. Not necessarily big machines stuff but you need at least something that rolls under the bed or behind the couch. I've seen on of my neighbor's stuff. They use it to hang the kids bike on as well as the dog carrier. It used to be a treadmill. I went to Academy to get some more stuff to roll under the window seat in the loft. I picked up a pull up bar, two small dumbbells and a 35-pound dumbbell. These items were added to a couple stretch bands, a weighted ball and a Swiss ball, two 25-pound dumbbells and a recumbent bike. So I think that all contributes enough stuff to call what I have a home gym. Enough stuff that for the last two weeks I've felt I've had good workouts. And I've proven that riding the recumbent bike does not contribute to one's wanting to watch the Golf Channel. It must be due to something else like an early symptom of a staff infection, caused by someone not properly wiping down the bike after they were done.

The best thing about the home gym may be the fact that I can wear whatever I want. I can mix 90s flourescent orange shorts with an 80s plaid long sleeve shirt if I care to. I mean if it's good enough to walk the trash out to the curb, it's good enough to get my home gym groove on.