Pumping my way to a sharper mind and body

You know, I firmly believe that as a writer ages, he needs to take additional measures to keep his mind sharp, otherwise it turns to mush. And a mushy mind doesn't really yield the same results as a finely-honed one. So after a year and a half of pretty much remaining sedentary, I am heading back to the gym today. When I was younger, till age 45 or so, I was into weights bigtime. At one point, taking the natural supplement Creatine, I was a monster compared to today. Then I tore my bicep - an injury that doesn't heal unless you have surgery to reattach the affected tendon... I didn't - and my serious weight-lifting days were over. Because I had focused so much on growing my muscle mass and not working the muscle that needed it most (the cardiac one!), I ignored the cardio aspect of the ritual.

Now, when I walk into that hallowed temple, Pump Fitness in Cote Saint-Luc, I do about 40 minutes on the eliptical and then about 15-20 minutes of lighter weights or weight machines. My heart is so important to me as I age, because that's going to keep me alive, not a bigger bicep or rock-hard abs. I never had a six-pack, anyways, not even when I was 19, had 18-inch arms and weighed 140 pounds. There's a little quip I like to relate: When they walk past my coffin and it's open (which it won't be, most likely), when they comment "Man, he looks fantastic," it will be small comfort. It's what's inside that really counts. Then again, that sort of logic is lost on the young. I get it now.

Wish me luck. I am going to power up with an egg-white omelette, three small low-fat turkey sausage links and a slice of whole wheat bread and then it's off to nirvana. Hope your weekend is going swimmingly!