I joined a new gym the other week. In the past, I sometimes used the municipal gym, but it’s quite small, and doesn’t have many machines. It also doesn’t require a membership fee – you just pay 300 yen when you go. It’s fine for short workouts during lunch or in the afternoon, but it isn’t a place you can stay at for hours.

I want to spend a few hours at a time in the gym, so, I took out a membership at one that opened up about a year ago. I’m satisfied with it so far. I do an hour of cardio, an hour of weights and about 15 minutes stretching. I also join a Zumba class when it’s on.

I work from home, so I tend to spend a lot of time in my house alone. Going to the gym gets me out and around other people (there is a no talking policy because of covid, so no one at the gym talks), and exercising makes me feel good. It has become like my second home. I’ve been going 5 times a week. It was a rainy Sunday today. Normally, I’d spend the afternoon in the house alone reading, and feeling, well, a bit depressed. I spent the afternoon in the gym, and I feel great. I’m going to get busier in the next few weeks, so I’ll only be able to go 3 or 4 times a week, but I can see it becoming a habit, and slightly addictive.

I also need to work on my second novel, and I am aware that going to the gym take time away from that pursuit, but it makes me feel good both mentally and physically, which in turn puts me in the mood to write. Now I just have to schedule the writing in….