I went to the doctor yesterday for my yearly checkup, and can I just say how lucky and grateful I am to have health insurance and access to preventive care? Sheesh. Everyone should have access to affordable health care, but that’s another discussion for another blog.
I’m also feeling ever-so-lucky to be healthy. There are facets of my health that I’m responsible for — diet and exercise, obviously — but I’m well aware that a lot of facets come down to pure luck — think genetics, metabolism, etc. I was damn lucky to be fairly healthy even before I started watching my diet and getting regular exercise. It feels great to now be making the most of the aspects of my health that are totally in my control.
Here are some numbers from the doctor:
Height: 5’6"
Weight: 138
BMI: 22.3 (healthy range = 18.5-24.9)
Pulse: 56 (normal adult range = 60-100)
Not gonna lie… I’m proud of that pulse (of all the things to be proud of!!!). The random info I can find on the Internet says that many athletes have a pulse of 40-60. The guy who took my pulse said, “Are you even alive??”
Never thought I’d be bragging about my pulse…
I could stand to lose a few pounds (i.e. the 5 or so I’ve put on since before I went on that cruise in November), but I’m not aiming to lose weight so much as tone up and get rid of this general feeling of heaviness I’ve had since the holidays. I attribute that feeling to: eating more than usual, especially holiday treats and cheese; and falling off my regular exercise schedule, due to being busier and moving out of my mom’s place (no treadmill = no running, and no DVD player yet = no Jillian Michaels DVDs).
Today I joined that gym I mentioned before! I went for my complimentary workout and really liked the atmosphere, variety of equipment and the crowd, so I signed up. The staff was friendly and seemed to know all the members by name. The members kept to themselves and were a mix of all ages and fitness levels. Most of all, I really liked the treadmills they have — they felt solid, yet comfortable to run on — and that’s what I need the most when these cold, dark winter nights make it impossible to run outside.
I have to admit that I was nervous to go for my workout tonight. I kinda puttered around my room for an hour or so before I actually went. Yeah, I was intimidated… I’ve never belonged to a gym, and I hardly ever used the fitness center in college (too intimidating/I was too lazy). I was afraid I’d clearly stand out as a newbie and do something dumb in front of everyone. The great thing about this gym is that no one seems to give a crap about anyone else; they’re just focused on their own workouts.
It’s quite the cliche to join a gym in January, so I’m going to stick with it and not be an even more cliched quitter! Keep me honest, Tumblr.
Dev on Running 