There is a Fitness Center in our subdivision. We hadn't taken advantage of it until recently. Several weeks ago my Darling Daughter and I started going together. There are two treadmills, one elliptical trainer, and one weight machine in the room. I usually start with the weights while she starts with the treadmill or elliptical trainer. We work out for 30 minutes and switch.

It's been a lot of fun. Sometimes we talk while we work out. Sometimes we listen to Christian music. On the way home, we drink smoothies made with egg white protein.

DD had a bad experience with aerobic exercise when she was in Middle School. Her Type O brother had excelled on both the swim team and track team. She tried to follow in his footsteps and got only frustration. At the end of a race she would feel faint and dizzy. When we made some connections to the Type A diet, she backed away from track, swimming, and aerobic exercise.

What she has learned in the Fitness Center is that it was the competitive part of swimming and running that gave her trouble. When she uses the treadmill to cycle between running and resting, she does not get dizzy and she feels good at the end of the workout. Her stamina has increased, and her legs are stronger.

What I have learned at the Fitness Center is that I don't push myself enough when I run in the neighborhood. The elliptical trainer makes me work harder and harder until my pulse gets to a level it thinks is appropriate for a 54-year-old woman. At first I was wiped out! I had been satisfied if by the end of a run I was breathing hard and had worked up a sweat. Now that I can see what my pulse is doing, I'm finding a new definition of strenuous.

Both of us are very bony on top, and both of us carry our weight in our hips and thighs. (That pattern does not match with either of our GenoTypes, but that is a topic for another day) We would both like to add enough muscle so that our shoulder bones and sternum don't stick out. That is our goal on the weight machine. My strength has increased since we started, and I can see a little muscle when I flex. I've got a long way to go before I don't look like a scarecrow when I wear a scoop neck top.

DD, because of the years of swimming, had more muscle on her shoulders than I ever did. However, when she tried to loose weight from her hips and thighs, she also lost upper body tissue. She is trying to restore her upper body muscles without adding layers on her lower body. She is definitely working against her genes in this attempt.

I'll let you know how we do as far as reaching our goals. In the meantime, it's good exercise and good discipline to go to the Fitness Center 2-3 times a week.