I don’t think there’s anything more terrifying than having a Health MOT(full body medical exam), especially when you already know you’re probably not in your best shape. Or of course, one could view the experience as a line in the ground, a chance to review, reflect and improve. However, one of course should also never underestimate the magnitude of improvement required…
The gym I recently joined offers Health MOTs every 3 months and with such a flurry of motivation at the start of the year, it seemed a good time to book myself in for the health assessment and face up to my demons – also known as the scales of doom!
The PT Instructor led me into a small room and explained what was going to happen over the next hour. Height, weight (gulp), blood pressure, cholesterol, heart rate and general Q&A about my lifestyle…hmmm, maybe it won’t be so painful after all.
I answered some obligatory questions – do I drink (rarely), smoke (never), eat much red meat (no to red, white or any other form of meat as it goes), exercise regularly (define regular?) and whether I was taking any drugs. Before I could protest my innocence (and show my indignation), she hastily added ‘for medical reasons’. Although I’m not sure super strength Vitamin D, Folic Acid and the weakest anti-depressants in the world could even be classed medicine, let alone drugs.
Enough of the chit chat, it was time to face the music and hop on the scales. Fortunately, I was dressed in leggings, vest and sweatshirt (which I hastily removed) so short of stripping off to my non-matching undies, I was in my ‘lightest’ clothing possible. I tentatively stepped on and watched through squinted eyes as the numbers calculated, whizzed and whirled before stopping at……whattttttt?! That’s not the stone range I was in last time I weighed in; surely this can’t be right. I opened my mouth to protest, or to ask if I could take my jewelry off, but the PT had already written it down. Bugger, I don’t want to weigh that.
I shuffled against the wall, feeling a bit despondent as the lady started to measure my height. Oh well, at least this is one thing that can’t go wrong…I’m 5’8. Always have been. Until today. Suddenly I’m 5’7….whattttttt?! So as well as being a stone heavier than I thought, I’m also an inch shorter – really?! Surely, I should just be put out to pasture now?
But in every dark, overweight, shrinking, short arse tunnel there is always light…
My waist to hip ratio was excellent! When she got the measuring tape I started to hyperventilate, but I needn’t have worried (much) – my waist is definitely smaller than my hips, which is good. But it needs to be smaller – not that the lady said that, just those crazy voices in my head who, as you can imagine, are having a ball with all the information so far.
More tests followed; blood pressure (good), BMI (lets not mention that), Aerobic fitness (fair), resting heart rate (normal) and cholesterol (just in the high bracket). And my overall health score? 54. I’m not entirely sure what this means apart from (a) it’s not that good and (b) I’m in the 80% of women my age who are also overweight, slightly unfit, cholesterol loving short arses.
So, after an enlightening hour, which in all fairness I did find fascinating, I came away with 3 Well-being Action Points:
1. Take steps to improve my body composition (lose weight to you and me!).
2. Monitor the blood cholesterol levels and take steps to reduce it (adios cheese!).
3. Increase water consumption. (meh!)
I returned home from my health assessment armed with my information, promptly ordered a Daily Wellness Journal (got to be accountable after all!), booked as many fat burning gym classes as I could, finished off the Maltesers and made a vow to be fit and fabulous by the time I’m 50!
HEALTHMINDER Personal Wellness Journal, $15
Watch. This. Space.
To read more of 50 Ways to Leave Your 40s, click here.
