Damn if you do and damn if you don't

I'm getting back to my exercise regime again - slowly but surely. Never an exercise freak, my exercise regime usually comprises a 10-15 minutes jog about two to three times a week. Sometimes, I simply "brisk-walk", and if my wallet is with me, I sometimes ended up at Tampines Mall to do a bit of "shopping". So you see, I'm extremely adapt at multi-tasking - walking, jogging and shopping at the same time! If I'm in the mood, the jog will be followed by a couple of sit-ups and that's about it. I used to jog to get fit for IPPT (Individual Physcial Proficiency Test), always aiming, at the very least a silver award which means a reward of $100. Happy that I was no longer liable for my reservist training, I thought I could "kiss" exercising goodbye and for a year or two, I was happy and "carefree". That happiness was short-lived, for I soon found out that I'm suffering from hypertension. Daily medication followed. The slim lady (my wife) told me to stay positive and think of the pill as an M&M. How sweet! I was also told to watch my diet and exercise regularly by the doc. My daily lunch with my colleagues adds to my woes. These lunches can be quite elaborate at times -roast duck and pork, kway chap, oil-dripping-mee-pok tah and yes, char kway teow with lard cube. It's extremely difficult to resist such food; more so the company of my colleagues. You see, we love food and food, I soon discovered, is a great way to bond with friends.

So, I reckon exercising is the only way to go, if I were to continue enjoy eating my food; and to "prevent myself from eating to death". For a while, I was quite "happy" exercising. Then, two guys from my office collapsed while exercising, both within months of each other - the first, in his mid 20s was working out in the office gym when it happened, and the other, in his early 40s was out jogging at his housing estate. Both men were reasonably healthy and both death were said to have been caused by a sudden heart attack. I was shocked and saddened by their untimely departure; so were many of my colleagues. Exercising is not suppose to take away lives. If it does, then why bother? I was spooked, and put of exercising altogether.

I went for my routine checkup at the polyclinic recently. Other then the hypertension, the dear doc told me that my cholesterol level was a little wee bit high but that, he added, should not be a cause for concern and no medication is needed. Otherwise, he continued, I'm fit as a fiddle and should start exercising to keep the cholesterol level in check. When I related the incidents of my colleagues to him and expressed my fear of exercising, he said that sometimes, there are genetic factors behind these incidents. One should be able to monitor one's condition during exercising and to slow down or stop when one starts feeling uncomfortable. It doesn't feel right not to exercise with the kind of food I'm indulging. At the same time, it's also insane to deprive myself of those food that I love. Because you only life once. Becasue I've stated exercising again. And mostly because "I LIVE to EAT".