Another reason to exercise.

Today I stumbled across this article about
exercise and the brain.

Best of all, the region of the brain that grew the most was the hippocampus, the part most involved with memory and cognition. After only three months, those who exercised had brain volumes typical of people who were three years younger! Also, the new neurons tend to find their way to well-established existing connections and replace ones that are damaged or nonfunctioning.

So, going back to the gym post aneurysm was even better for me than I'd thought - how 'bout that?

And on that note, I'm off to the gym!*

*Or not. I was putting on my shoes when the wind picked up and thunder boomed, and a terrified Boston Terrier threw himself at me for protection and is still standing under my desk, pressed against my leg, just in case it comes back. It was quite a storm. This is sandy soil here, my area does not flood, period, but there was a couple of inches of standing water in the yard, it was coming down too fast for the dry sand to keep up. The thunder was boomy, the rain was tropical storm heavy. I did not go to the gym, I'd have drowned trying to travel 20 feet to Baby in the driveway. It's a pity, because I'm sure the gym must have been empty. I'd have had those machines to myself.

Which leads to a rant about couples at the gym. I used to be part of a couple at the gym, and this isn't sour grapes, it's just good manners. There are couples who behave as my husband and I did - we came in together and left together, but otherwise worked out as individuals, we were not joined at the hip, and this was at 6 a.m. when the place was fairly empty. Then there are the couples who monopolize machines during prime time when the place is hopping. He does a set, while she stands by adoringly. He rests, they chat. He does another brief set. They switch. She does a set, rests, chat, repeat. Then HE starts it all over again. On the same goddamn machine. They kept this up for a half hour. While I am trying to busy myself on other machines and waiting for that one, as I am sure others were. I watched this in irritation and disbelief the other night. Fortunately it's not common. Obnoxious freak behavior, actually. It's also evidence of how some people can spend 3 hours at the gym and never break a sweat.

But this is why I set a goal of 5x a week - if I get 4, that's good, it's better than 3 which is still good, which is better than 2, which is better than 1, which is better than the big fat 0 I used to get. Weather is going to interfere. Groceries must be bought. Laundry must be laundered, and happy hours with friends must be, period. This isn't about being perfect or obsessive, but just like I won't let the cat box go too long or the laundry pile up, the gym fits into the other things I just have to get done.

Boy called yesterday. Turns out he won't meet his goal of being a trainer after all. The CEO of the company has told him to plan to ship out, he'll be relocated to open a new facility somewhere in a city TBA as the manager. But he assured me that it's not going to happen next month, so my vacation in Asheville is safe. Whew. Let's hope he lands someplace vacation friendly.

I finished the first Red Scarf, it's basic Cascade 220 in mistake rib. The next is started, though I may rip and re-start on 7s instead of 8s, I'm not sure I like the texture. New scarf is Twin Rib (Barbara Walker Vol. II) which is similar, but not the same. Still thinking about buying yarn for a new sweater, but haven't had time to think about it much.