March 2016
March into Fitness
Southern California has experienced the warmest February on record so spring is already effectively here. With lighter clothing, should come lighter bodies. Now that it's been months since my shoulder surgery and my program of physical therapy is winding down, I've been cleared to pick up normal activity which will help me shed the weight that had crept up. It was with a great deal of eagerness that I ventured on a tennis court with Carolisa Pomerantz at Griffith Park.
Unfortunately my return to action was less than stellar. I had to keep reminding myself that I had played the game fairly well at one point. My serve was abysmal and I didn't win a single game. Still, it was great to get back on a court and I worked muscles I hadn't in a long time through only cycling and walking.
A couple of days later, I resumed lap swimming, this time in a pool I had never swum before. I thought that I was doing substantially better. My form was better than on the courts, but then I had been swimming far longer than I had been playing tennis. I had set a modest goal, 500 meters. When I did the 20th length I hopped out tired but satisfied. It had been my longest swim since surgery. As I was leaving the gym, I asked the attendant how long the pool was since I wasn't sure whether or not it was in meters or yards. I thought I hadn't heard right so I asked her to repeat what she told me. The pool was only 20 yards long. I hadn't even swum a quarter of a mile. Still it felt good and I look forward to extending both my distance and duration.
The lesson from this month's anti aging diary is simple: use it or lose it. I've rededicated myself to fitness, and am already a few pounds down from my post-surgical peak, although at 198 lbs., I have a lot of slimming to do before bathing suit season. This summer I look forward to spending a lot more time in the waters of Venice Beach.
Don't forget to watch the award winning anti-aging documentary "Reverse Aging Now," If you don't want to buy the full-featured DVD, download a digital rental of "Reverse Aging Now" for just $2.99 on Amazon.com! Photo of Paul Suchecki and Carolisa Pomerantz by Carolisa Pomerantz.
Anti Aging Diary c. 2016 Checkmate Pictures - Paul M. J. Suchecki - webmaster