<div class="text-justify">

I hate getting my hopes up - especially early - but when I went to the gym today, it felt like it might have been slightly easier than it was a couple days ago. Or, I was able to push a little harder or something. The doctor said I might feel effects pretty quickly on my lungs, even in a couple days - but I rarely believe that. 

... But perhaps....

![image.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/tarazkp/23xVAhxYmQCBp3H1kAY4HVu9bih4RyKByLpev37oGLznPBsynGwcpvSgjdypbnPPVEdDN.png)

I'm more of a functional exerciser these days - which is a reflection of the many physical dysfunctions I have. *And mental.* But essentially, I  don't have a program and just do things that I feel like doing. This amounts to a decent stretch of my legs (though I need to spend more time on my core), and then some box leg lifts - without weight. I do a few different versions of this to get my legs and hips moving well together. A lot of guys who workout look to do muscle groups, without considering how those groups connect functionally. I am hoping to keep my body moving well in alignment, rather than having one group overpowering another. 

![image.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/tarazkp/48KbKKLHYtFt8uCAG1iez3hEF1FfLC4d5ce6dw6Ek9jK17x7yDXu2kXwkyZ5hJYx4G.png)

In fact, I don't really do any particular muscle group at all. I don't focus on the chest or back, or even the legs. It is about getting a dynamic range of motion throughout. All muscle groups get exercised, but hopefully they will be in balance and alignment. There are those guys who do a lot of chest, stooped over like gorillas because they didn't do enough back work to keep their posture. And of course, there are many who forget that their legs carry them everywhere they go.

I think in general now, women in the gym are far better at finding the balance than the men, because they end up doing a larger range of motion, stretching more, and adding more cardio on top. Now that they have started embracing lifting weights too, they are getting better results faster than ever. My wife is just starting to again discover lifting weights - but it is a work in progress. She hates it, but she did it regularly before (many years ago) she had to admit it was the best she ever felt. 

I think there are a few types of "feeling good" and exercise can bring one often, and work toward another of them. Going to the gym gives that feeling of progress and the sense of doing something good for oneself. And then, going regularly works toward feeling better physically and likely mentally and emotionally more regularly. As I was saying the other day, it is a keystone habit, and it puts positive impacts on other aspects of life, from mood regulation, to quality of sleep and digestion. It also affects other parts of our behaviours and likely improves our mental abilities, and physical dexterity.  

> What's not to like?

*Is the couch that comfortably?*

I get it though. Because one of the things after the stoke is that I have close to zero motivation to do anything at all. It takes a lot of unnecessary effort just to get up and do anything at all. So, I get it - as I am like an extreme case of a depressed person, or someone who is feeling really lethargic all of the time. I also run low on energy most of the time, no matter how much rest I get, because the brain work zaps so much of what I have available, leaving very little spare.

> Tired is no excuse.

Sounds pretty judgemental. But, this is what I have to keep telling myself, otherwise I will never get anything done. Even moving from one exercise to another, takes far too much energy. And after a day of having to use my willpower to get through even simple tasks, there isn't much left at the end of the day. But, I keep saying to myself - 

> *It is just a feeling.* 

These days, we often have the choice to *not do* something we should. In the past, if we didn't do what we needed to do, we couldn't survive. It is strange that we are constantly making choices that compromise our health, wellbeing and quality of experience - in favour of things that take it away. But sometimes I try to remind myself when tired, that if lion was chasing me, I would find a little more energy.

> And I move. 


Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]


</div>