Okay, something I never talked about because we don’t have them on this side of town is free outdoor gyms. The Turkish national government got on this thing a few years ago about people getting fit, so they started installing free gym equipment in public parks. It seemed to me, though, that they were only putting this equipment in parks near rich neighbourhoods, which never made any sense to me because rich people can afford to go to the gym.
Anyway, I had to go out for an hour or so this morning, and guess what? Down at our little local park, about two blocks from my house, they’ve put in one of those outdoor gyms— right in time for my new fitness goals. They must have put this in within the past two weeks.
It’s kind of like playground equipment for adults. That sounds like something you’d order from a porn catalog. But people were coming off the machines huffing and puffing and sweating, so I think there’s some real exercise going on here. Not that porn isn’t real exercise, of course.
We have about ten different kinds of machines.
Each machine has a sign on it explaining which muscles the machine works and how to use it correctly.
I didn’t look at the sign for this one, and it didn’t occur to me until I got home that I have no idea what it is. There are no moving parts. Some kind of leg-lift thingy? I’ve asked a couple of my fitness instructor friends and they didn’t know, either.
I make it look like the place was deserted, but quite the opposite was true. People were actually waiting in line for some of the machines, like this two-person cross-country skiing thingy. There were all kinds of people using the outdoor gym— women, men, kids, you name it. I think it’s fantastic, and next time (maybe even tomorrow) I’ll wear more appropriate clothing and have a go myself.