Question:I started my exercise program at Curves last night. I think I'm going to
like this. For those of you who aren't familiar with Curves, it's a women
only circuit training facility with all hydraulic resistance machines.
They're easy to operate and very gentle on these old joints. My doctor
will be pleased that I've taken the steps to get into some type of light
weight training as my last bone density test didn't thrill him. It made me
a little nervous to find that after two years on osteoporosis medication I
had continued to lose in the arm area. The hip and back areas had improved
slightly but not enough to please him. With the change in medication and
the new exercise I'm hoping for better results when I retake the test next
year. I have no other medical problems but this one worries me and my
doctor.
I was rather disappointed when they took my measurements last night. I
used to be 5'4" when I was in high school. I knew I had shrunk to 5'3"
over the years but last night they measured me at 5'2.5". At this rate I'm
going to be under 5' by the time I'm 70. It also means my goal weight will
probably have to be lowered slightly to compensate for my new height
I'm not going to worry about the weight as I want to concentrate more on
measurements and hopefully some gain on the bone density tests.
it's back to journaling in fitday to keep the calories in check, 3
days of weight exercises and biking or walking on the weekends (if it ever
quits raining around here). One of our local weathermen is a biker and
he's been complaining about not being able to get out on the trails so I'm
not alone in my whining.
Answer:The machines are setup in a circle with a jogging station between each of
them. You can start anywhere in the circuit and then do 3 rounds. The
exercise machines at the location I joined are:
1. chest press/pull
2. shoulder press/pull
3. dip/abs crunch
4. biceps/triceps
5. squat (I love this one as it almost forces you to have good form)
6. inner/outer thigh
7. quads/ham string
8. leg press
9. rotary torso for abs/back/waist
Since they are hydraulic resistance machines they aren't jerky, don't
require you to change weight settings, etc. The more pressure you apply
the harder they are to operate. The jogging between each station keeps
your heart rate up. You can start off easy and work into more resistance
as you become better conditioned. They certainly aren't geared for someone
who wants to do some serious lifting but they do provide a quick and
convenient alternative to the regular gym scene. It seems to appeal to the
30+ woman and I've seen some teenagers there on my two visits.
