No Pain No Gain

66 Year Old Man

 I feel like in the scene where a man or woman is standing in front of the gathering at the local branch of AA meeting.  Only the truth this time is not about an addiction, but a turnaround just the same.  I unfortunately just got the news today that a recent coworker, and friend passed away suddenly last Saturday.  I did a little research and found out that he had just returned from a game of golf, and decided to go on the treadmill when he got home.  When his family didn’t hear from him they went looking and found him lying on the floor.  He had suffered a massive coronary.  He was only 64 years old and still employed.  There are many directions that this story could go in, but today I want to talk about health and fitness as it pertains to what I am presently doing.

Today was my fifth meeting and workout session with my Personal Trainer.  I am no longer as sore as I was at the end of the first week.  I could say that at times I could even feel a little cocky, cause I beat this thing called pain (I realize it’s just the beginning week of pain; more to come).  My trainer keeps building me up and encouraging me, while at the same time stepping up the challenges that he keeps throwing into my workout.  In all honesty, if it were not for the fact that he is standing next to me throughout the sessions, I would not push myself that hard.  I have gotten to the point on more than two occasions, when I felt like saying I need a break, but I refuse break.

I was a competitive athlete in my younger years, and today I feel that there is a perfectly proportioned body builder waiting to come out.  Looking at Stallone’s picture at age 66, does a lot more for my self-esteem and progress than any growth enhancement drugs could ever do.  I am a natural, and more importantly I can take direction and pain.  I am committed to see this effort take wings.  I will get to where I want to be, and work hard to maintain it.  I am not obsessed, but you could say that I am very interested and highly motivated.

With regard to the friend I just lost.  He appeared to be in excellent health, and you might even say that at one time I even wished I had his apparent good health.  The old saying is; be careful what you wish for, and it never rang truer.  You, as an individual should stay in close communication with your health provider, because you never know what may lay waiting below the surface.  I am not making any particular statements about my friend, just common sense recommendation in general, I am not aware of my friends medical history. 

I regularly check with my physician at least once a year whether I need it or not.  I also maintain a close tab on my cholesterol levels through blood lab work; check my blood pressure at least every two months (a nurse once told me that I had the blood pressure of a person many years younger).  One thing I almost didn’t mention is that I listen to my wife’s advice.  I know she loves me and wants me to stay healthy.  If she says you are eating too much of a bad food, I listen and work at moderating.  She is presently very supportive of my efforts with the fitness center, and is cooking as good as always but we are concentrating on portion control.

I didn’t realize how often I was eating in town, at least half the time fast food.  There is no call for a retired person like myself to eat in town that much.  I am a trained chef (by my wife) in the kitchen.  Since I started my fitness center training, I’ve eaten in town once and it was a 6” Subway with no Mayo.  There is no way that I would ever do what I am doing without a Personal Trainer.  I am learning body science, and improving by leaps and bounds.  The best is yet to come….