I'm sweating like a hog, and huffin' & puffin' like the Big Bad Wolf in The Three Little Pigs, and I ask why am I putting myself through this torture.
'This' refers to the training sessions which I have signed up for just over 4 months ago. This was triggered by a blood test that revealed an escalating cholesterol level, & a borderline glucose intolerance compared to a year ago. Whether it's due to peri-menopause hormonal changes or indiscriminate eating last year because of the farewells & travelling & moving, bottom line was, that I needed to do something about it.
So here I am, four months later - two training sessions a week, during which my trainer puts me through a circuit of fitness training, strength training, kick-boxing (yes, kick-boxing); and an additional two days a week during which I either swim or ride the stationary bike. I've lost about 3 kg, quite a bit of body fat, & have put on muscle mass. My fitness level has improved, & my pants are noticeably looser, & certain parts of my body are also noticeably leaner.
I told my trainer that one of my goals (apart from improving my blood work) is to improve my fitness & strength so that I can fulfill one of the items on my bucket list: to go on a horse trekking trip. It's a dream of mine that I can do this one day in the not too distant future, before age takes its toll. I already feel the effects of the various sporting activities of my youth. The knees, the ankles, the back, and even my feet have aches & pains that are aggravated by certain movements & actions.
I am hopeful that I can achieve this goal of mine. I give myself another 3 to 4 months.
And yeah, hopefully my blood work will have improved by then too.