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all the other things you could (that is, should ) be doing instead of logging those miles, doing those crunches, or folding yourself into that downward dog. Like cleaning out your cosmetics case, dusting the ceiling fan, or writing a note to that woman—what was her name? The one you worked with three career moves ago. She was great, wasn’t she? All those good times you had…
    See how the whiner distracts! Wily little thing. If you were at a gym or the Y or the community pool or track, you’d be among other people avoiding their own whiners and not surrounded by your clutter, your couch, your computer, or in close proximity to your pantry. Oh, the whiner would still be there, and she could still talk you into cutting your workout short. It may be pride or ego, but I find it hard to walk out of the weight room or the kickboxing class after only ten minutes or so. It just doesn’t seem worth the trouble.
    You may feel as welcome at a health club as you would in a men’s restroom, so working out at home to a video or on a treadmill might seem like a good way to avoid the whole scene. But at home it’s too easy to give into your inner whiner and end up on the couch watching Wheel of Fortune and struggling to ignore the bag of Doritos calling you from the pantry. And even if you do prefer to exercise outside, you definitely need an indoor option. One of the whiner’s favorite things to bellyache about is the weather. “You want to go out in this ? It’s too ccccccold.” Or “You won’t be satisfied until I die of heat stroke.”
    Where, then, can you go to sweat without feeling like an alien? A good place to start are walking trails and high school or college tracks (after practice, of course; the last thing you want to do is get run over by a bunch of long-legged coeds with zero body fat). If you are shopping for a club, check out the YMCA. The best Ys offer cutting-edge fitness programs and equipment, a family-friendly vibe, and very few Lycra thongs. You are more likely to see girls (and guys) of all shapes, sizes, and ages there than you would at the “hot” clubs in town. Finally, a growing recognition among the health club industry of the fear factor among beginners and women in particular has spawned the growth of women’s-only fitness chains. These clubs, such as Curves, use small classes and personalized attention to help you overcome your intimidation. (For more on getting past your “club dread,” see the sidebar Chapter 1.)
    Make it as convenient as possible.
    You want to do all you can to get rid of any excuses that might set off the whiner in your head, so when you’re considering where you want to work out, factor in location. I suggest finding a place that’s on your way to or from somewhere you go several times a week—like work, or your kids’ school. The more convenient it is for you, the better. It gives the whiner less ammunition (no “But it’s so far a waaaaaaaay ”).
    It’s better for the gym or Y or whatever you choose to be closer to your destination than to your house, or you might be tempted to stop off and change before your workouts. That’s just another opportunity for your whiner to remind you how nice it would be to settle down and unwind for “just a minute” on that soft, pillowy couch before going to that “horrible, nasty” place to sweat.
    This means, of course, that you have to have somewhere to get dressed, most probably a locker room among lots of sweaty or soon-to-be sweaty women in various stages of undress. You might have no problem with this, but back in my fat days, I was terrified at the very idea of getting naked with a bunch of strangers. I could barely stand to get naked with myself. I came up with an admittedly imperfect solution—imperfect because not only would it offend Ms. Manners’s sensibilities but because it might also be actionable in some