Adventurasia Community

The second one was repeated many of times by one of my professors, who had a lot of respect in the Sports Psychology world. That was in regards to physical exercise and activity, 20% of the general population would not do any exercise no matter what (In other words; terminal “Couch-Potato-itis “). Another 20% will exercise regularly no matter what(In other words; “Endorphin Junkies “). The other 60% of the population would continue exercising in varying response to other circumstances in their lives. Convincing that 60% of the population to lead healthy active lives is where the field of Kinesiology (Exercise Science, Human Performance Studies, etc) is to make its mark on the world, and the employment of its graduates.

The third thing? Well, it has no real connection to this article, but here goes. In my Gross (or was it “disgusting “?) Anatomy Lab we dissected cat carcasses for our study of mammailan musculature. I was amazed at how much the leg of my feline subject looked like a raw chicken leg like the ones you see wrapped in plastic in the supermarket. What I had only suspected of the Colorado University food services, may very well have been true. I mean, what are you going to do with thousands of cat carcasses at the end of every semester? The modern day educational institution has to make cost-efficent respones in its fiscal management. Yes I know what question you will ask next, its a no-brainer. No, it DID NOT “taste like chicken “..it tasted like Formaldehyde!

Somehow while at CU, as much as I loved Kinesiology, thought my professors and a lot of my peers kindred souls, and actually succeded academically for once in my life, I did not see myself fated to the career track typical of the dicipline. In a senior year Bio Mechanics class, or professor asked us to state to the class our future goals. In a class of seventy five there were 45 pre-Physical Therapy types, 15 aimed for medical school, another 10 for Massage Therapy(I still have a strong amateur interest in the field, a decent ammount of skill, “good hands “, incidentally I am single). I was one of two who thought “Going to Europe ” was a profession. It actually was, for two years in Finland, and a month in Slovakia.

The remaining three? Well again, no connection to the story, but nonetheless worth sharing. “Go back to pa`s weasel farm in Amarillo, n` run da family `isness ” was one. “Use my knowledge of Anatomy and Physiology to direct Porno ” was another. The final was “Hopefully get drafted, and make a decent living in the NFL “. A little cocky huh? I can not remember if it was Kordell Stewart, Michael Westbrook, or Chad Brown who said that. Aside from the career goal already diverging at that point another incident sealed my fate. Passing out after seeing roughly 10 cc`s of blood while witnessing a human muscle biopsy as part of my Undergraduate Thesis research. Apparently the professors still reminisce and chuckle about it, maybe even relate it to incoming students at Kinesiology department orientation. Well, that sealed my fate as far a working in the medical profession.

After graduating in 1993, my life has gone in a different direction than Kinesiology, at least professionally. I now find my self smack in the middle of Japan, for my third job connected to the “Land of the Rising Sun (powder skiing, a huge market for Burton Snowboards, skilled and fast major baseball players, and probably the most athletic and sports-crazy populace this side of North America) “.

Though I use my degree every day in its relation to motor development and human learning capacity and strategies, and maybe 30-50 times a winter at ski areas all over the Tohoku Region, plus writing about skiing for various publications and web sites, I cannot say that my professional life and experiences are really “kinesiological “. Surely, my future educational and professional endavours will reflect my journey across the world and the skills (I hope some exist!!) picked up along the way (are you listening Columbia University International Affairs school? Oregon? U-Dub? Minnesota? Wisconsin? Harvard? SIT?) BU? Nokia? Reuters? Newsweek Asia? NFL-Japan?)

What my professional life lacks in connection to Kinesiology, my life outside of it still maintains a strong connection to it. Aside from spending a solid part of my winter in one of the snowiest places in Japan, enjoying what the regions many ski areas have to offer, Japan is also such an exercise, sports and fitness crazy country, it is rumored that even Hello Kitty will do areobics at least three times a week, and Doraemon, the half-cat half-helicopter superhero pumps weights to keep in shape for his incredible physical feats(No I do not know if he “juices “(takes steriods)). Following their lead, I usually spend my after-work free time at a local health club. That club is Central Fitness Morioka, located about 250 yards from Morioka Station.

Central Fitness Morioka is part of a chain of fitness clubs in Japan that is quite wide spread. One of the benefits of a Central membership is you can work out at any of the one hundered plus clubs with your membership card. It`s equivalent in North America would probably be Bally`s fitness chain, or Gold`s Gym. Though one would he hard pressed to find the hardcore bodybuilding reputation at Central Fitness clubs, though a several time winner of the “Mr. Iwate ” bodybuilding competition is a regular member. If “Mr. Iwate ” works out here, then its weight-lifting(or “kinniku (muscle) ” or “kin “-training in Anglicized Japanese)facilities, must be among the best in the area. I have been a member there since September 1998, when I first came to Morioka as a member of the Japanese Exchange and Teaching (JET) program. I am now on my next job, located about 25 kilometers away. My habit of exercising habitually, a herniated disc in my back, and a hyperacive personality that exercise will “take the edge off of (hopefully!) ” compel me to commute to Morioka, for my four of five bouts a week of exercise.

For the priveledge of being an “executive ” member, I pay about 11,000 Yen a month, or about 90 US dollars. The most important part of the “executive ” membership is three hours of parking at the club parking lot, and if full, two hours paid for at a neigboring commercial lot. Even in a relatively rural location like Morioka, parking can be a difficulty, and this is of great importance.

The standard membership at central is about 9000 yen a month. Central also offers a multitude of packages such as weekend only, night time only memberships(inculding free rein for the last hour of the clubs operational hours)in the 5500 Yen a month range. Swimming and Aerobics memberships are also sold, and Central, it seems has a package suitable for everbody from a college student to a corporate CEO.

Aside from the valued parking priveledges, what exactly do I get for the small fortune extracted from my bank account each month? Well, a pretty decent chunk of facility. A plethora of exercise bikes, treadmills, stair climbers, quite a few Cybex weight machines, and a relatively decent sized ammount of free weights. There is certainly enough equipment for almost unlimited use. Peak hours (630-800 PM) will bring the occaisonal wait, but that is about it for inconvienence. on top of that Central offers a large swimming pool, with poolside jacuzzi and steam sauna.

Furthermore, the locker rooms, are quite the extravagance. lockers have locks that are operated by a digital card where you can program your own locker combination. On that note, make the combination easy enough to remember, in my case “1-2-3-4 ” and “5-6-7-8 ” work quite well. Aside from that, you get a nice sized TV, a tanning booth, digital scales, a dry sauna, and an ample supply of aftershave lotion, hair tonic, and blow dryers to supplement your “fitness ” experience. In fact, given its convienent central location, it is often a pre- “night on the town ” stop off for members who may not necessarily be working out that day.

In addition to those perks, there are a few others at Central that make my small fortune spent all the more worthwhile. The first is the presence of three machines to takes ones pulse and blood pressure near the training desk. Next to that, a computer display is set up, where by inserting your membership card(complete with digital chip) you can input your weight, blood pressure, etc. to keep track of your fitness(or lack threof) over time. For some strange reason, I really have not availed myself of this service during my time as a Central member.

Central also gives its members a comprehensive SCUBA experience, complete with in-house certified instructors, private lessons, and several club outings to diving locations like Thailand, Indonesia, and Okinawa each year. The icing on the Central divers cake? A two floor diving tank, which even has an open window in the main lobby of the club, for those members who are tired of watching Centrals junior swim teams practicing in the main pool. Perhaps with the customers in mind, the two SCUBA instructors, one male one female, are in very good shape.

The most popular drawing card for the customers at Central, hands down, is the Aerobics program. All variety of courses are given from basic level classes, and the lastest fad in aerobics, a balance “board “, to high level aerobics and “Tae-Bou “/ “Boxercize “-type classes. The instructors are well trained, quite customer friendly, and having taken the occaisonal(and I do stress occaisonal) class, I can vouch that they are a “Work Out ” with a capital “W ” and “O “. Of course it may be my case of terminal “lardass “, that contributes to that opinion.

Some of the clientle are competitive aerobicists, taking thier hobby quite seriously, often practicing their routines in lieu of class. music, and sometimes even space. Last year one of the instructors, and two members were chosen to demonstrate their routine at the World Championships in San Fransisco. Mentioning the language barrier while in the states, I selflessly volunteered to be their translator next time.

Perhaps the biggest curiosity about Central Fitness is the glass wall that seperates the the aerobics studio from the rest of the club. The aerobics studio is, curiously, next to the male-dominated free weight area. When discussing this with another foreign member of the club(a British gentleman) we came to the conclusion that a glass wall for an aerobics studio in the west would most likely invite heaps of protest from feminist organizations, and probably threats of fire bombing from Chrissie Hynde. The next conclusion reached was that in lieu of all the other breaches of what is considered “Womens Rights “, elsewhere in the developed world that occur in this country (Pay and opportunity equality, legal discriminaton at times, abundance of overtly sexist imagery in the media, etc.), fixing the glass wall at Central Fitness is not of the utmost priority.

“Wooooosssshhh! ” “KA-BOOM!!!! “.

What was that noise?

It was the earstwhile lead singer of the Pretenders, lobbing a Molotov Cocktail at me. Before she hits the target and I get vaporized, let the record say that I am 100% for womens rights.

So how does one sum up three plus years of working out in the ritziest health club in the prefecture? I certainly feel I have gotten my moneys worth out of the 10,000 some odd yen per month I have paid. Let`s see that ammount times 39 months… aah, forget it. It has also provided me many great opportunies to practice my Japanese. It is a step up on the local grandmothers soba-noodle making society, or taking one of those all too frequent courses in Basic Japanese Pleasantries, and Intermediate Superfical Japanese. I learn such things as “zekkoochoo “( “feeling great ” or “in great shape “) and “mato eta “( “thats right “!), they are certainly words I will not pick up at the local course for foreigners. In return I teach “Tetsu Nekkutai “( “The Iron Necktie “, or being unable to get the weight apparatus off your chest while bench pressing).

Of course, this is Japan, a country that is not exactly reknowned for its tolerance of foreigners(at least in certain segments of the population), and many times I have stuck out like a sore thumb. There are members who have never even given me a nod of acknowledgement in three plus years(In fairness to some of them, their treatment of other Japanese is not much better). There are even some who will quickly dart away should I get within a ten feet radius. I even occaisonally hear the word “gaijin ” ( “foreigner ” in Japanese, with not all connotations pleasant).

I must stress that they are in the minority, and a small one at that. My treatment from the rest of the clientele ranges fromn quiet tolerance to friendship, but it is not much different treatment than what I would expect from a similar setting in my home country. Perhaps a little better, as any foreigner resident in Japan will understand, that being foreign is a is a double-edged sword, with a “uniqueness ” you will not be accorded in you own home country. The club and its staff have always been great, giving me the same treatment as any other paying member.

That, in the long run, is why I keep my membership there intact. I would inevitably work out somewhere as my chronic exercise habit does not allow me to be sedentary for too long. Japanese culture tends to favor the repetition of certain actions, and my four or five time a week regimen keeps me coming back, and I feel has gained me a measure of some acceptance, with club members. To most in my surroundings at the club, I may never be “fully Japanese ” but I am a member of the day to day scenery there. That is a welcome respite from what seems like a constant “glaring difference “, that can always be measured in the gapes, gasps, whispers, open conversation about you in the assumption you do not understand Japanese and pointed fingers of the young, some of the old, and sometimes even the “run of the mill ” adults in this country.

Central has been great as a health club. Its facilities are first rate, the atmosphere has been quite good for the most part, whether I am riding an exercise bicylcle quietly reading or studying, being the recipient of a member trying to improve their English, or chatting and laughing in Japanese with the regular members. In addition, I think it has given me a wonderful place to learn more about Japan in a context separated from my job. As many who work in Japan know, especially English Teachers, much of that experience can be an “artifical ” or “filtered ” look at Japan, with many parts of the experience prevously set up up. In the case of the ALT (Assistant Language Teacher), it often designed with the foreigner as the designed center of the experience.