January 2023 found me thinking about losing a few pounds and getting a little more cardio-fit. I said a few pounds, but I really needed to lose about 25 pounds. As a result of this wild idea, I decided to join the gym my wife, Meg, has belonged to for several years. It’s a thirty-mile round trip to the gym, but there’s always a reason to stop somewhere between our home and there, so there’s a twisted logic that we’d need to go out anyway. Right? That started a year-long string of gym visits that averaged over twelve months about three visits every two weeks.

Long story shortened somewhat, I’ve lost about seven pounds. The real gain, though, is in overall fitness. I wasn’t struggling with shortness of breath and had no trouble with stairs or climbing hills, but I’d noticed a diminished capacity to lift heavy items and my back was aching now and then after bending.

After two or three months, I noticed improvement in all fitness areas. I’ll note here that during December when we missed a couple of weeks of gym time, I backslid. Returning to a regular schedule in January 2024 was a bit strenuous, but it’s all coming together again now.

The picture from a treadmill that I’ve attached to this posting shows a scene I never thought I’d be viewing. When I went to the gym for the first time, I was surprised at the vast array of equipment available. This year, I’ve been upgraded under our health care insurance and there’s even more equipment to use and enjoy.

I’ve found out that paying attention to my fitness is likely a good thing. To drop those pounds I may have to cut back on the “good life”, but that’s unlikely. My suggestion to everyone is to pay attention to your physical fitness, as it seems to be firmly attached to your mental fitness. I believe we can all use a touch-up on that now and then.

Stay fit!