Poker face

I wanted to get stronger because I know that muscle helps to burn fat and, because physical strength is a useful thing to have as one ages, but mainly to help burn fat!  With this goal in focus, I joined a gym and committed to going 3 times a week.

 Along with the commitment of time I also committed to eating healthier, putting my full effort into each work out and measuring my progress by the improvements in my fitness and how I felt rather than numbers on a scale.

When I started I couldn’t do the warm up run, I walked it.  I couldn’t do jumping jacks, I did the step out alternative.   I couldn’t do jump out burpees, I walked them out.  There are other things I could not do but I’ll end the list there.  One thing I did get done the first time, albeit with lots of internal self-talk, was the minute-long wall sit, and I felt triumphant!

By the time a minute-long wall sit came along again I was ready for it and was a little let down that it was not as hard as I recalled the first one was. I realised that I had gotten stronger and needed to increase the difficulty.  

Therefore, for the third wall sit, I added a 20lb dumbbell and was in agony from about 10 seconds in. However, I closed my eyes, focused on my breathing and waited it out, occasionally questioning my sanity.

When the minute was done the instructor exclaimed, “Either that was easy or you have a great poker face!”  I told her it was the poker face as I burst out laughing.

The lesson in this for me is that once the decision is made to do something difficult, peace can be found in the midst of the struggle.