Tag: Healthy

  • Going Back to the Gym

    Not many people know this about me, but I haven’t been to the gym in almost three months. And now that I say it, I think I have told people this information before. Anyway, let’s all act like this is new, and not me rehashing a subject to meet my daily blog quota.

    I got in shape for “Swimsuit Season” by not getting in shape. I know that this was a bold choice, but after spending the Summer at the beach and water parks, I can see that for other middle-aged men, I was not alone in this decision. My dad bod is stellar!

    I stopped going to the gym because the school year came to an end, and I wanted to spend my time with the kid. And I also wanted to sleep in. But, I admit that was not the correct decision, as now I have to redevelop my habit of going to the gym.

    And I hate going to the gym.

    But I go to a nice gym in the neighborhood, which makes it not so bad.

    Yup, come Thursday, when the kid is back in school, I will be able to drop her off in the morning and then head over to the gym, which was the old system. And I do need to get back into it. I don’t like working out, but I also don’t want to die early. All the extra time I can have with the wife and kid is apricated, and the easiest way to attain that is just go work out for thirty minutes a day. So, it’s a pretty good deal.

    But I am lazy. I mean, I will do it, but I am really lazy. And I will hate every minute of it. And I will come home and the wife will ask me how my workout was, and I will shrug with an expression of not caring either way.

    My wife, on the other hand, when she come back from a yoga class, she’s all jazzed up, and excited, and happy, and full of energy. Good for her, and I’m happy that she gets that out of her workouts, but that’s not for me.

    Maybe one day, but not today.

  • Me at the Gym

    I have just started my fourth month of working out, and I can’t say that I have come to love it. But I can say that I do look forward to my thirty minutes, four times a week, of listening to my music, and having time for myself. And I will admit that I did have one session at the gym where I left feeling pretty good about myself. With three months under my belt now, I feel that going to the gym has now become a healthy habit in my life, which is a very good thing.

    The other habit I have formed is that I “sing” while on the treadmill. I used the quote thing, as I don’t actually sing out loud – at least I don’t think so. I, more or less, mouth they lyric of whatever song that I am listening to. And I have a playlist right now that contains several songs that I like to sing along with. The music and singing does help me focus and kind’a push through the minor aches and pains that flair up when I start running, so I don’t plan on stopping this habit.

    I have lost 6 pounds, but I don’t feel better about myself. Maybe I need to change up my diet, I don’t know. Sadly, all of the other benefits of working out have yet to appear for me. Still not sleeping better, and I don’t feel like I have a better attitude toward life. I don’t feel more focused, or any of that Ginsana crap. (Just ask Scottie Pippen)

    Maybe this has to do with me. Maybe I’m too pessimistic. Maybe I’m the outlier. I’m not going to stop going to the gym, as I know some exercise is better than none. But what I feel like is that guy at the party who smokes the joint which is being passed around, but I didn’t get high.

    (Say, don’t forget to like this post, or share it, or leave a comment. I got bills to pay, you know.)

  • Shared Aches and Pains (Uneditied)

    We all had a bad night of sleep. Me, the wife, and the kid. We all woke up late, and each had a different ache and pain. The kids feet hurt, the wife’s hip hurt, and I had knee and hip pain. I mean, we are all better now that we are up and moving, but this morning, man, we were all moving slow.

    Can you have communal aches and pains?

    I guess that is possible, but still seems odd.

    I know why I feel the way I do, because I stayed up too late and fell asleep on the couch, which isn’t the best place to sleep. Normally the sofa causes back pain, but every day is a new discovery. For this reason, I am skipping going to the gym.

    I have been going to the gym for nine weeks now, and the best I can tell, I have lost 6 lbs. other than that, I don’t feel better. I don’t feel that I am thinking clearer, or have a more positive attitude. What I have is a new item on my schedule, that I do four times a week. I know that they say you need to do something 90 days for it to become a habit, and I guess I am closing in on it, but I don’t seem to be getting the rewards that are claimed.

    This doesn’t mean I’m quitting. No, I need to work out to stay healthy, even if that means I’m not losing weight, or thinking clearer, or having positive attitude. I need my heart to work properly for the next thirty or so years. That’s what keeps me going. I was just hoping to lose my middle-aged man gut.

    I’ll be back tomorrow.