Getting physical

As part of my personal remake, as I told you already, I decided to counter my forceful sedentary habits (6 hours a day before a computer at the office, and maybe 1 or 2 more hours at home) with physical activity. It's a real pain. I'm too old for this, I've never done any sports consistently, and my body is plainly not made for that. I did a fair amount of workout at the gym more than a year ago for many months, with interesting but not spectacular results. I have no gym buddy to keep me from staying home when I should be sweating.

Anyway, I did start the gym (I'm in constant pain!) and decided to go jogging with two friends of mine who also go to another gym every other day. Now these are people who've had training and consistent physical activity at some point in their lives, and they're younger than me, so obviously I can't follow them for long. Fortunately we're friends enough that I can tell them "don't even think of slowing down because of me" and get "we for sure won't!" for an answer, no offence taken. We're doing a short course starting at number 0 of Pellegrini Avenue, going down to the south-eastern tip of the city center, then left (north and north-west) following the curve of the riverside Belgrano Avenue, and ending right in front of the National Flag Memorial. We're supposed to walk then, but yesterday the guys decided they'd try jogging our return as well. So far I've joined the party twice, on Tuesday and Thursday, and that's it for the week.


If I can't go jogging I'll be doing a slightly different aerobic exercise by using my bicycle. I tried going from home to the Japanese Association at a slow relaxed rhythm; it took me 25 minutes, probably more than it should, but considering my state and the horrible traffic, it was excellent; I didn't stop once except at the traffic lights, and then I returned home immediately without resting in about the same time. Moreover, 25 minutes is what it takes me by bus to go Japanese school, if I count an average of 5 minutes waiting at the bus stop. Therefore I think I'm going to use the bike for that when classes resume in March.

Security is a concern; people on bicycles are easy targets for opportunist thieves, and I have to cross a raised railway line surrounded by a small villa miseria. I don't think this will be a problem, though; I'm more worried about my composure when I enter class all sweaty and with a messy hair. Anyway, this can help my health and save money, so I'll make the effort to train during February.

All in all it's clear I can't set my goals too high, or set goals at all, in the manner that other people train to achieve ever longer distances. My goal is to stop the deterioration that is sure to happen at an accelerated pace if I'm sitting at the office, travelling in buses and at home for 10 hours a day. Any kind of physical exercise is appropriate for that... I only need to achieve a balance.