Fighting the Flab

In an attempt to achieve one of my new year's resolutions, I recently joined my uni's fitness centre. The membership entitles me, the member unlimited use of all the facilities and join all the fitness classes. For less than $100 a year, I'd say it's a pretty good deal.

Yesterday was my first class and it was a high energy, high impact workout. I was so fired up to start cos I really wanted to sweat and do something athletic. For more than a year, my only form of exercise  has been walking to the garage from my doorstep and then from the parking lot to my office. Pretty pathetic huh? Well, despite my lack of exercise, I was very optimistic about the class and was confident I could just breeze through all the routines. After all, I used to play futsal twice a week and I once attended a Kursus Senamrobik Tahap 1, so this aerobics class was really a no-brainer.

DEAD WRONG. I was okay at first but after 20 minutes of jumping and skipping and squatting and running and hopping, I almost died. The only thing that kept me going was my ego.  You see, none of the girls in class showed any sign of exhaustion. Not even a girl who looked four times my size. So I kept on going, all the while cursing under my breath, and wiping the sweat on my forehead. I ignored my shaking legs and aching muscles and gave it all out. So I continued to jump, skip, squat, run and kick. As I was getting all high to the beat of Katy Perry's I kiss a girl in techno version, I felt a sharp tugging pain on my lower abdomen. It felt like a muscle cramp, but I doubt it cos I  seriously don't have any muscles on my tummy. It's more likely to be lemak cramps, cos that's what I've accumulated in my mid section. Those fats were cursing me for waking them up in the middle of a long uneventful sleep. 

Because of the unbearable lemak cramps, I had to stop and sit at one corner of the gym. I felt a bit defeated  because I was performing way below my minimum expectations. I had delusionally vowed to myself that I would join ALL the evening classes set out in the schedule. Who was I kidding? I can't even get over lemak cramps! So frustrating. As I watched my cute blonde instructor with J-Lo's butt in action, I tried to lower the unrealistic expectations I have of myself. Even though part of me felt this was all a bad idea, there was also that crazy part of me that wanted to exceed all expectations and be the best student in class. After several minutes of monologue,  my legs felt better, the cramps eased and I was ready to take on another gruelling session.

The class lasted for another 40 minutes and then it was all over. When J-Lo's butt said "Thanks for coming girls. You all did great!" I clapped and clapped to my heart's content. My legs felt like jelly but that one hour workout gave me the much-needed wake-up call.