Exercise routine

I've been so happy these days! I'm not going to tell you why, at least not yet. Not until things are more.. certain.

In other news, I've been establishing an exercise routine for the rest of the semester. HKU offers some very affordable sports classes, and it would be a shame not to take them. This semester, I will take Badminton for Beginners, Wing Chun Kung Fu, and Swimming (Front Crawl). Yes, I'm finally learning how to swim. As for badminton, I already know most of the rules and regulations, but I want to improve on my technique. I don't think my ass and wrist should hurt so much from playing badminton. As for swimming, no, I still don't know how to swim without the aid of a personal floatation device. Wing Chun should be fun. I'm really looking forward to learning a Chinese martial art that doesn't involve high kicks and jumping.

In addition to taking these classes, I will play badminton and basketball with fellow Graduate House residents. I'll also try to use the fitness and weight rooms, something I haven't done in many many many years. If I've ever had a v-shaped figure, I have since turned into a refrigerator, and will probably soon resemble a Christmas tree if I don't do anything about it. My fitness levels and physique are still salvagable. Once I hit the 300lb-mark, I may be in serious serious trouble.


I think there are two keys to my attempts at maintaining a fitness regime (is this considered appropriate use of the word 'regime'?). First of all, for the first time in my life as a student, I live on campus, the MAIN campus. I can no longer say that I have to rush back home to eat a home-cooked meal or that the gym is out of the way. In fact, I can exercise with the commute time that I'm saving; then again, HKU's closest sports facilities are at least 15-20 minutes walk from the main campus - the farthest facilities are a 20 minute bus ride away!

The second key to maintaining an exercise routine is making exercise a social activity. In junior high, I played basketball at lunch and after school because my friends played basketball at lunch and after school. In high school, I used the weight room because my friends started using the weight room, and we competed to lift heavier and heavier weights. In university, I learned martial arts because I made very good friends in the martial arts club. At HKU, I plan to play badminton and basketball with my new friends regularly, and perhaps go swimming regularly too (if my attempts to learn are successful). Next semester, I plan to take tennis and golf lessons, and eventually, I'll learn how to play racquetball and other sports. There are a lot of one-time dance lessons, as well as regular dance lessons, and as my friend Vince pointed out, these are great places to meet girls. The girl:boy ratio at Tuesday's bellydancing class, for example, was about 5:1. I LIKE THOSE ODDS!


Since the year 2000, I've managed to do less and less exercise as I've made more and more excuses for myself. In Taipei, it was too hot. While doing my Masters, I was too busy. In Beijing, the air was too dirty. I can make excuses for myself now - Hong Kong is too hot, the air is too dirty, and I'm doing my bloody PhD! - but I really don't want to be a fat bastard anymore. The funny thing is that my last few girlfriends really didn't mind me being a bit round on the sides; in fact, every single one of them, as well as other girls, has endearingly described me as bear-like. Hmm.. am I sure that I want to exercise?