We've lived now for three years in New Jersey, an over-populated, under-civilized portion of the United States. (It's that rather large place which is isolated by choice from the rest of the world.) Fitness was never a symbol in the New Jersey equation. The forests were almost entirely cleared from the state several hundred years ago to make way for farming, and the farming gave way in the last seventy-five years to low-grade industrial and commercial enterprises. Of parks there are almost none larger than a ball field, which is exactly their purpose: for fitness in NJ was long ago defined as side benefit of competitive sports.
Recently we checked around in the area and priced several of the so-called "fitness clubs" which have sprung up of late. We ultimately joined one that had a month-to-month membership plan--with, of course, a large signup fee. (When our salesperson told us that the reason for the large fee was solely to keep away the huge number of people who would otherwise swamp the club and make it impossible to use the equipment, my wife looked at me anxiously. As well she might. It took a titanic effort not to laugh out loud. I never realized commercial enterprises priced themselves as high as possible for altruistic reasons. The father of capitalism, Adam Smith, would have had a cow. And sold it.)
This club is a large place with roughly forty treadmills, twenty-five stationary bicycles, and many rows of torture equipment intended to work every muscle in your body except for those you prefer sharing privately with your Significant Other. There are four racketball courts, a large area for intensive aerobics classes, a pool, a small whirlpool, a juice bar and a sauna. Despite the overwhelming energy music that's blasted through the place it has a surprisingly laid-back atmosphere, with everybody pretty much doing whatever exercises they please using the machines. Since there's a flat fee for monthly use and the place is open from 5 AM to 11 PM five nights a week (and 8 AM to 8 PM on weekends), we intend to workout for 1-2 hours almost nightly.
So what do *you* do to maintain your physical fitness?
[ 06-10-2001: Message edited by: fable ]
