Habits

Yesterday I went to the gym.  It being a Sunday and late morning meant there was hardly anyone about.   I like it this way.  When there's no queuing up to use the machines and no need to worry how fat I look if I happen to see myself in the mirror.  And I did, and I do, look fat.  But while there I hit the running machine and even managed to do a straight 15 minutes jog without stopping in between walking stints.  I observed my breathing wasn't too bad, which is a good sign.  Fat or not, being able to breath is important.  Catching your breath can limit the amount of time you can exercise.  Like being weak and unable to lift weights.  My knee began to twinge later on so I'll have to watch it.  Sometimes though it is just a matter of persistence and taking it easy.  Not overdoing anything.  Getting into the habit is important.  Which reminds me of a quote I come across the other day.  Attributed to Aristotle

"We are what we repeatedly do, excellence is therefore not an act, it's a habit."

Quite an interesting thing to say when you think about it.  About striving to do the best you can but more than this to make it the very best possible.  It obviously takes a lot of effort and attention to do.  At the moment I'm half way fat so, if I were to be excellent at it, I'd be really fat.  Though I don't think this is included in the measure of the quote.

I went and looked at bicycles this afternoon.  Again thinking about increasing the amount of exercise I do.  A little disappointed I walked out of the shop, just not being able to make up my mind or be inspired by anything I saw there.  On the way back home I had a pint in a pub and enjoyed the sunshine.  It chilled me and just the one pint seemed to have a mildly intoxicating effect.  Maybe it was yesterday's exercise.  I don't think I'll put too much weight on it.  After all there is too much weight which goes on the machine.

Now tomorrow to start an excellent habit.