Pushing your limits

I can ramble on for minutes — not hours — talking about my exercise routine. Since I started “moving it” three years ago, I have not stopped, and I’m patting myself at the back for that. 

My journey to a more active lifestyle was an uphill climb on the first year. It was a chore that I knew I had to do because I felt it was necessary. I was breathless going up the slopes during coverages, and it occurred to me that I might have asthma. I’m the poster girl for “lampa.” No sports, no nothing. And I could not even jog continuously for 50 meters! 

So, I tried some activities that I thought I would enjoy. Years ago, I tried yoga under Liza Dyogi. Apart from the stretching, I also appreciated the centering aspect of yoga. It relieved me of my headaches. Because my schedule would not permit it, I found Bikram Yoga in nearby Tomas Morato. It was very challenging to do the yoga poses at 37 degrees! However, it gave me a great feeling after. To avoid boredom, I combined Bikram and did some walking in UP. I also got a running trainer to help me get started. 

There were many days when I felt I didn’t want to exercise, but it was a rule NOT not to go if I have not exercised for two straight days. I got this advice from Bob Greene’s Best Life Diet book. It was also good that my husband would push me on sluggish days.

After only a few months, I let go of jogging because my yogi Tristan Choa suggested brisk walking. It was safer, he said. Orthopedic doctors warned me of wear and tear, and Dr. Vicki Belo told me that it can make one’s face sag. 

For the first year of exercise, that was that, Bikram and walking. My target was just to move my ass and get exercise into my system. Make it a habit. On the second year, there was a change in my work schedule that I couldn’t do brisk walking anymore in UP. So, I re-enrolled in the gym. 

I enrolled in the gym before, but my money just went down the drain because the machines bored me to death. This time around I had no choice because the gym was the most accessible. To my surprise, I had a different attitude when I re-enrolled because I’ve been exercising already for more than a year. 

I started with the machines, the treadmill, the elliptical. I appreciated that I could watch all the news while doing my exercise, and it was a productive way of starting my day. 

I don’t know what it was that got me to do the group exercises. But perhaps it was my titas in the gym who were so vibrant and toned despite having grandchildren. My favorites are Body Combat and Hardcore, which I alternate with spinning and yoga. 

This year, I’m pushing my limit further, and my mantra is “burn.” Normally, at the gym, I stop at the repetitions whenever I feel my muscles burn. I did a trial of the Planaforma and got a taste of “burning” poses. It is based on the Physique 57 workout from the US that Hollywood stars like Demi Moore rave about. Thanks to Dr. Vicki for my DVDs, I can do the workout at home. The DVDs are very effective. I’m now adding swimming to my activities because I want to challenge my lungs. Add to that, I can bond with my husband, Orange. 

When I started to exercise, I didn’t feel fat at all. I felt I was OK, and no one around me even said that I needed to lose weight and do conditioning. But when I saw my old pictures when I went home to Baguio over the holidays, I saw how much of me has changed! I was overweight at 130-lbs.! My cheeks were so chubby, and I truly looked like a manang. 

I’m older now, but I feel younger and stronger, and I feel more confident — of course, being happily married is a major factor. But these things I didn’t aspire for just happened because I decided to have a healthier lifestyle. 

People say I’m thinner now and some people tell me it’s too much. They’d tell me, “Why are you exercising when you’re thin already?” For people who don’t exercise, they have to understand that we exercise not just for vanity, but more importantly, for our well-being. If our sole motivation is just to lose weight then we resort to diets and shortcuts, which should not be the case.  

Being fit is the best thing you can give yourself. Now that I’m reaping the benefits of an active lifestyle, I wish you all to have the same.  Go for it! Push your limits!

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