Work it on Out
My host mom got a discount membership to some swanky gym in Shinjuku so today she took the whole family with as her guests.

Wow. Best gym I've ever been to. Weight lifting equipment wasn't top-notch but everything else was awesome. Anything you forgot to bring you could rent. You could borrow gym clothes and shoes for free.

It's been years since I've swam in a pool just for the purpose of doing laps. I probably swam about 20 laps today or slightly short thereof.

But this place had more than your average work-out facilites. Raquetball courts, jacuzzi tubs, massage rooms, facial treatments, saunas. It was a freaking spa. And the best part? The Japanese bath... shower first, slip into a hot water jacuzzi tub, sauna and then into the cold water tub. Afterwards, change into a yukata and shorts and take your time drying your hair and lotioning up at one of the twenty or so sink/vanity sets. No padding around wet and naked through the locker room in this place.

It felt so good to use an Elliptical trainer again and even just to lift weights in a facility that wasn't used only by brainless, idiotic college men. I dread going back to the Waseda gym but at least hanging out in this place motivated me to get my fat ass back in gear.

And despite being hauled around on some weird circuit by my host family and suffering through all the weird Japanese gym traditions (like not actually being able to wear MY OWN SHOES in the gym but instead renting "room only" shoes), I managed to keep it all together. Host sister lost her locker key though and we had to spend half an hour looking for it.

Bummer.

Anyway, back to the gym with me this week. If I'm going to Okinawa, I might as well try to look decent in a bikini like I did in Belize last year.