Run this Town

(This is what I do. Work out and write stuff)

I have been a gym enthusiast since my sophomore year in college when a night of drinking and dancing couldn’t abate the pressures of collegiate course load. That was 5 years ago. I still find the aerobic workout to be one of the best ways to deal with the accumulating stress of the real world. So after I moved to China in August it wasn’t long before I hunted down a gym nearby. I looked into a couple of places and settled on one that I believe offered the best price for their services. Surmount Fitness Club, 10th floor of the Parkson Plaza on Jin Hua Nan Lu, -AKA the East Side Wal-Mart shopping Center.

The space encompasses 2 levels of classrooms and fitness machines. On the top floor is the standard weight room with a variety of equipment from free weights to muscle isolation machines and two pool tables for your entertainment. The lower level cardio floor has a plethora of ellipticals and treadmills as well as a half-court indoor basketball cage and a ping pong table. Also your choice of exercise classes are varied, as they offer the basics like yoga, step and cycling but for the adventurous sportier they also have ballet, belly dancing and hip hop. I imagine there may be a bit of trouble with the language barrier but joining in could be an hour of great fun!

For the first time in my life I have taken the next step in fitness and hired a personal trainer. The services are pretty pricy, a 100 yuan a lesson, but the one on one work out routines have become a source of fun and my primary hobby. Plus it has given me a chance to expand my knowledge of the language and a great method to practice my listening and speaking skills. I urge you to remember that like any other business these are sales people as well as trainers so don’t let them talk you into buying services you don’t need.

The main difference I noticed about working out in Xian as compared to somewhere in the US is modesty in the locker room, or lack there of. When you walk into the locker rooms you will notice that there are naked people everywhere, the showers have no doors and towels are used as a method to dry and not a method to conceal nakedness. It was a bit off-putting at first but I have adjusted to it and have perfected the downward gaze so as to keep my eyes from taking in more than I think my year-long contract paid for.

Overall when I work out at Surmount I am able to zone out and let my mind wander to the beat of my ipod, a nice escape from the day. So if you are looking for a way to get your sweat on I would suggest Surmount Fitness Club, either on Jin Hua Lu or out in Gao Xin. They offer a range of contracts, but at less than 900 yuan the 12 month contract seems the most reasonable and realistic. Feel free to stop by and have a tour, they have English speaking representatives to help you out.