Get Out There And Exercise!

I used to joke that I wasn't really concerned about dying and would be ok with a big greasy cheeseburger in my hand and a smile on my face the moment I passed, but no more. I am not concerned about dying though, it is the quality of life!


In the early winter of 2008/2009 something clicked in my brain after a checkup at the doctor's office. All of my blood pressure was fine (a bit low actually, but not a problem), triglycerides and cholesterol was good except my "good cholesterol" or HDL, which was low. She told me the only way to fix that was to eat more fish and chicken and exercise. Well, I don't eat red meat The only meat I eat is fish, chicken and occasional pork. So that wasn't going to do anything. That meant exercise.

I was also overweight, technically obese at 5'11 or so and 220lbs. So, I decided to start exercising.

Being cheap and lazy, I wasn't going to go to a gym. I knew I didn't have the will power to make that work. So, I started using a treadmill we had that was not getting much use. I hated it for the first month or two, often skipping planned sessions, but I stuck with it. Then the snow melted (was living in New Jersey at the time) and the weather was decent and I found I actually enjoyed running outdoors.

I lost 60 lbs in six months and have kept it all off. I run 3-4 times a week. I also changed my diet, but didn't actually go "on a diet." More on that in another post.

So, how does that affect my quality of life? I used to get a cold at least 2 times a year and was always feeling run down. Not sickly, just blah. Since I dropped the weight and keep in shape, I haven't had a cold at all. I got some weird cough a few months ago, but it was just annoying and didn't cause me to feel bad at all. It was also odd because the cough would totally disappear when running. I guess the adreneline acted as a cough suppressant. I no longer keep any cold medicine on hand "just in case." My existing supply expired and I just chucked them. They never used to expire before I needed to use them.

I feel more alert and alive all of the time, not just the days I exercise.

I have been blessed that I don't appear to have any underlying health issues. Some people do what I do, or more, and still struggle with issues like high blood pressure or high cholesterol levels. You do what you can. I'd argue those people are still better off for all they do than if they just vegged out in front of the TV with a bag of chips like I used to do. (I still veg out, but it is with grapes, carrots, almonds and pistachios now.)

So get up and figure out what you like. Running, biking, swimming, elliptical machine, basketball, whatever. Do something to get your heart rate up for at least two to three hours a week. Trust me, in three months, you'll feel a difference. In a year or so, you'll wonder why you waited so long.