WHEN THE PANDEMIC CAME, I quit the gym. It was hard, giving that up, but some things are out of our control. It had only been about three months before that I’d planted my feet in a determined stance and said: “You’re going to do this.” So I hated having to stop. But this week, sixteen months later, I’ve started back up. With the plague fading and two Moderna shots behind me, I’m getting back to the weights, not just for the muscle benefit but – dammit!—it’s enjoyable. It’s fun, pretending I’m machoman.
“Youth is given. One must put it away / like a doll in a closet, / take it out and play with it only / on holidays.” May Swenson, “How to be Old”
So I’m clearly overdoing this “recovering my youth” malarkey. Every morning, I’m at the gym door when they open at 5 AM. My arms are a trifle sore right now, but it’ll fade as I work it out. This morning, I noticed the guy at the front desk seeming to keep an eye on me; probably afraid I’m going to have a stroke or something and keel over next to the lat pull. I didn’t think that I was groaning that loudly.
Hi Henry,
I'm in Ontario, Canada, and the gyms here are still closed. We are just starting to open things back up again.
Thankfully, the weather has been great, and I've been doing a lot of walking. When it rains, I pull up a workout video on YouTube and break a sweat that way. Exercising has really helped me during the lockdown. It hurts, but in a good way!
Casper
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I know what you mean, Casper. I quit the gym for 16 months during the pandemic, but now, with the vaccine in me and renewed desire, I'm going back each morning and it feels tremendous. First thing in the AM there aren't that many people there, so that helps ease my mind somewhat too. Keep at it, kid. Best, HenryM
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