my pride is on the shelf, in a good way.

The gym and I have always had a very petulant relationship. Necessary in the long term, but usually tied to lingering teenage rebellion or just general laziness. As an athlete for most of my life, I've always preferred activities to just traditional "working out." Sports, competitions, etc. But once the opportunity for intramurals or an impromptu Frisbee game weren't options anymore in my new "adult" life, I buckled down and joined a real gym.

Now Baltimore is a place where you are either a fitness crazy or a a fitness cringer. Part of this is due to the dicotomy of the reiging gay man vs. the daily chicken box consumption. Falling somewhere in the middle of these two extremes, I was reluctant to work out at one of the "fancy" gyms where everyone already looks like they only eat 4 crackers a day. I finally settled on the YMCA right down the street, and have found my comfort zone. It has most of the full equipment of any high-class fitness club, but also offers a daily dose of reality. I can walk into a core conditioning class knowing I won't be the skinniest person in the room by a long shot, but also have made more progress than the woman behind me making orgasm-like noises with every leg lift (to which the rest of us cracked up laughing and the instructor stopped class because she was also laughing so hard.) If I went to yoga, I wouldn't be the only person who falls over more than once. It's real people, genuinely working their asses off. Literally.

It's also a great way to support a dying community asset. Baltimore doesn't have many community centers, and the Y is one of the few places where you can find an open gym time, a children's climbing wall, and craft classes all in the same low-cost building. I like that my Zumba fees are going to more than just the pockets of some corporate mogul. Now if only I would get my butt to the library more often...