Learning Danish...the "sporty" way

I have come to realize that there is a direct correlation between working out at the gym and learning Danish.

I joined one of the many gyms here in Copenhagen, called Fitnessdk (it's a chain, i go to the one in Norrebro...therefore I ride my bike to and from my kollegium) and it was only this week that I discovered how the hour I spend each day there has helped me learn a little more Danish.

The ellipticals (i wish the treadmills were there instead though) are strategically placed in front of three flat screen TVs that display MTVDK and two others that run American shows on their channels. So far, Scrubs, Bones, and the original Beverly hills 90210 have been playing while I'm there. They have Danish subtitles, so in between watching new music videos on MTV from the first TV on the far left (today I saw "new" lady gaga and Britney spears videos as well as "top 11 at 11 videos-Danish guys" music videos), I would read the subtitles of the TV shows in hopes of picking up a few words that I've already learned and maybe make sentences.

In addition to the basic  reading comprehension lesson, I've learned Danish in a more active form.

Fitnessdk offers an array of group classes in one of their three workout room. When I'm at cal, I love to go to 20-20-10 with Shane, Body Toning, and other high intensity classes. Here, I was reluctant for almost a month to try them out. The first day I joined, the trainer/cashier told me I could go to any classes I want, I'd just have to sign up when I got to the gym prior to it starting. If i don't show up, which wouldn't be an issue, I'd have to pay a fee since they set a limit to how many members can participate in a class (Cal gym, take note).

After taking part in BodyPump on Saturday and Monday, I learned that:
a) no english is spoken, except for the music (and the occasional one-line sing-along by the instructor)
b) I could catch a few words I already knew and start to learn a little more
c) I must rely on looking around at other people to see how much weight to put on their barbell, since I obviously couldn't catch on too easily with the numbers (Danes talk so fast)....but,
d)exercise is a universal language (even though I didn't understand much of the instruction by word of mouth, I could look around and say "hey, their doing rows and deadlifts", and then quickly catch on.

Other observations I've made at the gym:
a) the women here are ripped, I'd say over 50% have toned arms and defined abs. I've never seen so many women like that at the gym at home,
b) the instructors, trainers, and members are all really nice. On Saturday, after class, I dropped my locker key and I retraced my steps from the room, to the location where I was working out, and back to the equipment. I did that about 2 times when a woman who was participating in the next class came up to me and said "are you looking for your key, you dropped it over here". She pointed and proceeded to walk with me to it. I was so grateful and said my "thank you's before leaving. Even the trainers/workers at the front desk are always nice. Without fail, they always say (with a warm smile on their faces) "hej"or "godmorgen" when I enter the gym and some form of "have a good day" or "hej hej" when I leave. They sure know how to make an American exchange student feel welcome at the gym.
c) they need A/C badly in there, I've never sweated as much as i have since I started working out at Fitnessdk.
d) I've never checked into a gym using my membership card. You swipe it on the side of the computer, use the corner of it on the touch screen to sign in with your pincode and decide whether you want to take a class within the next few hours or just do a "free" workout (on your own), and then log off with it. A receipt is printed and you either stab it through the spear where all the other receipts are (that's if you are just working out on your own) or take it with you to class as a voucher. In addition, the membership card is also used for lockers, you put your card inside a slot in the door to release the key, and then when you're all finished for the day you unlock the door with the key and take out your card.

Luckily, I have many more days of attending workout classes, sweating profusely in what feels like a sauna, and saying "tak" to all of the helpful and friendly patrons and instructors. Yeah Fitnessdk!