Checked In With The BWI

I still don't own a smartwatch or a Garmin tracker. I don't bother to weigh myself either. The husband upgraded his weighing machine to a Hume that also tracks body composition and body-fat percentage. I don't use it. LOL 

What I do use once in a while, is the Evolt 360 body scan at the gym. It's pretty old technology and it hasn't improved much in terms of body fat readings. The readings are heavily influenced by hydration levels, caffeine, food intake and menstrual cycles. In short, it’s not terribly accurate. I'm not concerned though. I'm not paying for it; I’m not an athlete — I don't need it churn out such precise readings. 

The Evolt app kept my last scan in May 2024 and compared it with this recent one taken this week in July 2026. Ahahahah. I obviously ignored it for all of 2025. I already do DEXA scans every three years (since I turned 40) to check on bone density. For that, I need to fast overnight, and I have to stop any calcium supplements for at least 36 hours prior. 

Read through the analysis in detail. I didn't lose any muscle mass between 2024 and now. In fact, there's a 1.5% gain. Yay! I'm not into taking protein. I prefer to eat them, although I’m not eating enough to the recommended ratios. I don't mind taking EAAs and creatine, but not on a daily basis either. 

Anyway, for my age, the Evolt360 scan said that my BWI is 8.7. My total body fat percentage stands at 21%. These are optimal even within their indicated ranges. Sure. I feel fine. I'm not going to have that body fat percentage go down to 19%. I don't feel like training that hard. Hahaha. I don't race, and I'm not that competitive. I still have a healthy relationship with food and I never have issues with my body.

Save for those few years I dropped off the fitness radar and went up to 60kg, over-ate and over-drank, I'm back in shape now. That's not from appearance alone. I know it from what I can lift and squat while doin functional movements at home. The glutes and knees have grown stronger. Because of the sports I did as a child and as a teenager, I've always used body weight to build and maintain muscles. I still do. However, I've embraced weights as part of the exercise regime. I'm lifting the heaviest that I've lifted in my life. 

I'll just continue what I'm doing. Retain muscles and maintain bone density. It's simply about keeping fit, limber and strong enough to do all that I want to do.

In My Non-Hyrox Era

Pilates and Gyrotonic stretch and rotate all the kinks out of me, and to keep the fascia nimble. I work out fairly religiously at the gym not because I love weights or strength training. I do it because I don't have a choice — aging muscles — keeping fit. Also, it has become an outlet for stress (and anger) management. 

I'm having some fun training with friends at their gyms for their Hyrox race prep. It's not a recent thing. I've been training with them since early 2025. They're the mad people who would fly to Seoul, Hong Kong and Paris to race. I wouldn't mind tagging along as a spectator, but my traveling inclinations are curtailed by a floof. 

This training usually means doing a lot of squats and running. I can do barbell squats on my own. Wall balls are so painful when it's the last station and you're literally dying. If you have no strength in those quads, hamstrings and glutes, you will cry.

Then you need a ton of upper body strength and a solid core. Somehow, you'll have to figure out how to build strength to push a sled of 102kg, which will feel easier than pulling a sled of 78kg. Of course I'm not doing Pro weights lah. Walao. 

I have to do all the stations that I hate, especially running. It's ridiculous to push me to run so far. Ugh. I'm made to run 8km and I detest that. My max is 5km. That's my comfortable distance. I'm not racing, so I refuse to run 10km. Ha! On normal days, I don't even like running outdoors, but these people do. Grrrrrr. Thankfully, we run at the stadium (nice track) or around the Kallang Riverside, MBS and Esplanade area, both of which are acceptable to me. I refuse to run elsewhere. NEVER ON A TRAIL. Running is utterly unenjoyable.  

You can analyze the best positions and form for each station. You delve all you want into how to improve strength, stamina and timings. But Hyrox is first and foremost, an endurance and a running race. If you can't run 10km comfortably without collapsing at the end, don't do Hyrox as an individual. I know people said don't bother about timings, just train and just aim to finish injury-free. Ehhh, people do bother about timings. So you can talk to all the enthusiasts to figure it out.

I have done the simulations, and I'm pretty impressed with my timings for the 45-49 age group. LOL However, I'm not joining a race at all. I won't because I'm not interested in joining any sort of competitions this way. It's not me lah. I don't have the bandwidth to do it. I can't commit to Doubles or Relay because if Choya needs me, I tend to drop everything for her, including any potential races. 

No matter. This is my non-Hyrox era. 

EAAs and Creatine

The husband has always had tubs of protein powder of sorts. He now gravitates towards whey isolates instead of whey per se. Isolates result in a lighter drink and a higher ratio of protein derived. No milkshakes or smoothies for him. These whey isolates can be stirred into water and ice. That would do. A lot lighter and less sugar. 

I'm not keen on protein powder at all. Whey flares my IBS, even the isolates. I would need a plant-based protein powder. Whatever. I'm not into it. However, I'm not closed off to supplementation especially when I'm aging. My kidneys and liver are fine, and a little supplementation should aid bones and muscles. 

It took me a fair bit of research and a lot of thinking before I bought supplements in the form of Essential Amino Acids (EAAs) and creatine. I don't care about BCAAs — they're a subset of EAAs. The body can't produce the nine blocks that form EAAs. We take them either through diet or supplementation. Now that I can't really eat so much, and eating that much gives me indigestion, supplementing with powdered EAAs would work. It would also help with bone health and anabolic resistance. 

Now, creatine. 

Creatine is not an anabolic steroid, nor does it increase testosterone levels. The husband is keen on creatine gummies because they're convenient. I don't mind, but I think I prefer it as clean as possible, which means taking it in its powdered form. It can help with muscle breakdown and keeping my muscles nicely toned. I don't want to lose them. I want to offset any potential age-related sarcopenia. 

Some say creatine helps with brain fog. Okaaaay I'm not experiencing brain fog just yet. I don't know if it truly helps, but I guess it does help with cellular regeneration. That would do. It doesn't negatively interferes with female perimenopause hormones, so it should support a general feeling of well-being. 

I'm not into overloading on anything. I eat enough protein generally. I'm not into having extra protein via supplements. But I don't mind giving EAAs and creatine a try. There're so many brands out there. I chose Naked Nutrition. 

I'm not taking them every day. I can do EAAs once or twice a week, and creatine 3mg thrice a week. IThese could be mixed into juices or water with ice. My EAAs are completely unflavored, making it smell and tasting like tree bark. It can be quite gross, but I'm perfectly fine with it. I can add to to soy milk or whatever. The creatine powder is strawberry flavored, so if I toss 3mg in with the EAAs, that would suffice to flavor it although it doesn't mask that bitter aftertaste. 

These wouldn't affect our kidneys because we're not doing mad supplementation. More isn't better in this case. We're not athletes, and we certainly don't train at their intensity. We're hitting just under the recommended dosage, and we're hydrating so much. And honestly, increased exercise and these supplements have oddly, kinda curbed my inclination for the afternoon coffee, and even alcohol.

A BodyPump Class After Months

It has been months since I went for a Les Mills BodyPump class. The gym opts for the 45-minute class, and it's great for people like me. It's entirely up to you how hard you want to push, but the high reps mean that you can get injured if you aren't careful with form and control. 

Truth be told, I'm terrified of this class. It's crazy. It's both strength and cardio. And I'm usually tired mid-way through. It's not a class I want to do if I didn't have a full-night's sleep. 

I bravely popped into one that day. We could choose our spots. Mine is usually at the side, near the door. It's a psychological thing for me. Hahahaha. My PT coach walked by, stuck his head in and grinned. He pointed at me and told the class instructor, 'Keep an eye on this one!' Whaaaaat. Oeh oehh oehhhh! Tsk!

 I'm lazy, and I find changing weights a hassle. So I prefer to go with 5-kg a side on the 2.7kg bar, and use 2.5-kg as free weights. I can pile on weight if I want to. To my surprise, after not doing a class for months,  this is now a breeze. I don't know if I've grown stronger or my stamina has gotten better from running with the Hyrox-bound friends, but this class is almost no-sweat for me now with these weights.

I realized that for back squats, even at this pace at high reps, the 13-kg-total bar is too light. Oops. LOL. I should have made it a 20-kg-total. But I wasn't bothered to add on weight in the middle of sets. Forget it. I’d simply squat deeper then, and went all the way down and all the way up. When we had a break before moving on to the front and arms, I added 2.5-kg to push the bar to a total of 18kg. That was a respectable weight for clean-presses and power-presses.

I did the entire sets of push-ups and tricep push-ups in full knees up. I didn't take the option of going down on my knees. I'm excellent at not using weights if I don't want to. No shame. I already threw away the bar for lunges, so I should work a tad harder in other sets. 

To Another Year of Health

After a whole year of scheduled medicals and blood draws, bone density tests, the usual annual consults with my doctors, fitness check-ins, research and observation, and anecdotes and chats with similarly-aged girlfriends, I think, I'm not even in perimenopause yet. I don't know when I'll step into it. My estrogen levels have remained consistent and within range for the now. 

There's no definitive clinical test for perimenopause. Hormone tests are absolutely unhelpful at this point. I suppose I'll know when the hot flushes, night sweats, brain fog and odd aches begin. And perhaps insomnia. I love my sleep, and I still need to sleep at least 7 hours a night. I can live with 5 hours, but not for consecutive nights. 

Since I'm not in perimenopause yet, the threat of sarcopenia is low, although my metabolism has slowed. I always eat very well. So that's not an issue at all. I have already been watching my food intake even more conscientiously when Covid lockdowns happened. Luckily IBS helps me in filtering out the things I'm not supposed to be eating anyway. I'm not putting on weight randomly. Whewwww. To that, I have decreased alcohol intake by a truckload. Going light on alcohol is the fastest way to tone up and cut out the flab, bloat and shitty hangovers. 

I'm a lot fitter than the average women in my age group, in terms of strength, bone, heart and muscle health. My immune system is keeping up. I would like to keep it that way. At this point, I'll just continue the strength and resistance training. I need to build the muscles while I still can and keep them. I can't prevent accidents... or fate intervening. But I would do my part to stay strong for as long as I can. I want to be independent and mobile and nimble. As I age, this is what I want to hold on to. Health, is wealth.

A Lot Less Alcohol This Year

This year, I shall watch how much alcohol I drink. It's in relation to the muscles I wish to build, and how I feel while working out and such. I do have IBS and I have no wish for alcohol to induce flares. As we age, we lose muscle mass and water, so we feel the effects of alcohol a lot more. I'd rather build my muscles and not have that as a reason to continue drinking.

Anyway, I don't like drinking till I vomit. That's a horrible feeling. The headaches are really bad. I limit intake to a max of three glasses now, and not at dinner every night. I'm just glad I'm not actually a raving alcoholic. I don't feel uneasy or have physical symptoms of withdrawal from having less alcohol. It's A WHOLE LESS than what I'm used to having. No regrets at all. This is a form of addiction after all if I don't watch it.

I have nothing against alcohol and I like my favorite drinks. No cocktails, no odd mixes. I like my highballs and whisky. Of course I can do wine and champagne. I go a lot easier on beer and Guinness because they trigger my IBS quite badly. 

It's quite funny when many conversations among friends circle around after-alcohol pills and hydration jelly packs. We have all stocked up on it. It's to the point where many of our alcohol tolerance have decreased so much till we need these external aids to relieve hangover queasiness.  

I'm not going to say that I'm quitting alcohol. I won't be doing that, tbh. A glass or two is fine, as long as it's not a daily affair. I'm past that now. However, it's imperative that I down the volume of alcohol imbibed. This isn't a new year resolution. Nobody cares about that. I don't want my body and organs to be dehydrated either. 

Worked Out Really Fine in 2025

This wraps up a year of working out with intention, and lifting heavier with a coach. I also learnt the relationship between my food, weight and weights/muscles. I simply lower my intake of carbs and raise protein according to what my body tells me. 

I have totally decreased alcohol intake. That's a surprise! I don't need to go off of it. I like my alcohol. I don't feel that it's necessary to be a teetotaler. But with age, I'm a lot more mindful of the health risks and the sugar imbibed. I don't have an alcoholic disorder, and contrary to what I always say, I'm not exactly an alcoholic. When I had a cold, and I went alcohol-free for two weeks, that was not an issue.

I'm pleased with the muscle gains. I stepped onto the diagnostic scanner in the gym to check out the muscle mass. The last time I did was like in 12 months ago. I haven't grown heavier. I still toggle between 53-55kg, depending on whether I'm bloating for the month. The muscle mass, however, has increased. I do feel stronger. Functional movements are smoother, and steady. 

Over the Black Friday sales, I finally bought grips! I finally am lifting heavy enough to need them. Bought them from Frog Grips. It's based in Australia; they ship international of course; shipping to Singapore didn't take more than 10 days. They're quite cute. Hehehe. I didn't buy green lah. I hate that color. Neither did I want pink. Settled for good old black and boring. 

My word. Grips make such a huge difference. It's almost as if my fingers don't slip anymore, and suddenly gained extra grip strength! It made a difference to muscle-ups and slow pull-ups. It especially made an impact on my deadlifts. WOAH. My coach grinned and said perhaps I could consider a weight belt next. LOL NO.

I still don't own a Garmin or a tracker. Hahaha. I'm not bothered about it lah. How I feel is more important than what the statistics tell me. All I need to do is to build my strength and have muscles wrap my bones, preventing osteopenia and easing daily functional movements without getting that much weaker as I age.

The Gym at Home Is Rather Useful

The gym in the estate has finally been refurbished. The gym closed for a short week to get renovated, and re-opened. They even rolled a pineapple into it for fun. Heh. When many residents use the gym and don’t abuse it, that gym is worth the cost.

I like it! Loads of improvements made. Brighter lighting was done, more mirrors installed. A full rack of dumbbells and kettlebells. Brand new machines. A squat rack! Cables! Pull-up bars. Shock-absorbent flooring. I am pleased.

I’m not about to give up my fancy gym membership at Virgin Active. But a home gym that is actually outfitted with proper equipment and machines is useful. It's great for random days when I just want to do pull-ups and quick squats. 

The other day I went by the home gym to do some weights. I went to the squat rack to set up, and in between, did shoulder shrugs and negative pull-ups. A woman came in to look around, and commented “Where are the machines and things for women? Looks like all for men.” I amost died. Since when is a gym gendered? I didn’t know they make ‘machines for women’. Like what types?! 

The woman was blocking my way at the squat rack. She was clearly not going to use it. I asked her to move, and loaded up 40-kg as a warm-up for my back squats. Her eyes bulged and she promptly shut up. And yes, she moved very far out of the way and primly watched me use what is presumably a man's machine to rack the weights on the barbell and do my back squats. 

7.5kg a side. Very conservative. Bahahaha.

Croaked for 10 Days

I was hit by the worst bout of laryngitis and sinusitis. It lasted like 10 days. I only felt better today. It hasn’t fully subsided. I'm in post-nasal drip hell now. It would take another week to clear. Ugh. Luckily I had meds. Throat was scratchy that night, and I know my whole body. This was unusual. The next day, I hurried to the clinic before it flared like crazy. 

Since this visit was covered under company insurance, I had gone to the GP clinic to get prescription meds, stronger antihistamines and anti-inflammatory things. I had a feeling. I also wanted to ascertain if it was Covid-19. It wasn't. And if it was indeed a strain of flu, then that flu vaccine I took last month wasn't very effective huh.

The throat felt like stinging nettles partied in it for three days. The headaches were bad. But no runny nose, no fever. I was sort of functional. It felt like a cold. It felt like a full-blown allergy flare of sorts. I've had this before, but I haven't had it for years. I wisely skipped Pilates and Gyrotonic and gym classes for three days. Then I went about my schedule, albeit seeing fewer people (in case I am contagious), and taking it easy.

Then the sore throat receded and the entire oesophagus felt burnt. I completely lost my voice. Then the fluids begin running around in my head. What the. I recognized this finally. Laryngitis and an old ailment I haven't been hit with for years — sinusitis. I doubt it's fungal. For now, it's still viral rhinosinusitis. Thank goodness for prescription meds of chlorphenamine and prednisone. These in tandem can calm the immune flare, but yes, in about 10 days or so. I can go back to over-the-counter antihistamines and Neuflo after that. 

I'm still croaking. I went off coffee and alcohol for a week too. I couldn't deal with them. The sensitive throat and immune system simply rejected them.

Keeping My Strength Up

I didn't think I'd keep with the strength training with the instructor (or PT, as most would call it) at the gym. But I did. There's no competition, except with myself to build strength and be consistent with the weekly training. 

I've gotten my strength to a point in which I could comfortably (back) squat 60-kg, bench-press a half-decent 35-kg, deadlift 60-kg sumo and RDL. This is functional training. I could mop the floor on my knees and hands in peace, I could squat to sort out the dog and all. Ha!

At this age, it's no longer just about cardio. I need to keep my muscles. The stamina for cardio-things surprisingly comes easier when I get stronger too. I've shaved off my running time for 5km, unintentionally. This is my usual distance and I'm not keen to run any farther. In that same line, I'm not keen on doing any sort of group running or even join a Hyrox race. I'm not that hardworking. 

What is annoying is my clothes. They're fitting differently. I'm still the same size, but walaoeh, the butt and the armpits can't quite fit. Say a UK8/US4 sleeveless dress — everywhere fits but I had to bring it to the tailor to alter the armholes — they were too tight. Hahahaha. My chest has somehow grown. Not boob size. But the pec muscles and lats have become solid. LOL The measuring tape tells me that my waist and hips are still the same circumference, but the glutes have grown. SO. I can't fit my current size for bottoms, but a size up is too big. AIYOH.

An Advanced Reformer Class

Finally the gym offers an 'Advanced Reformer' class that would be on a permanent schedule, well till people complain or till the instructor leaves. I also said 'finally' because the Reformer program at the gym has been unsynchronized, messy and a tad incoherent, right from I dunno... 2018. They have achieved some sort of management consensus when it comes to program offerings and calibre of instructors. But to me, it's still patchy.

This instructor who leads the Advanced class is a trained Pilates instructor, rather than simply a gym-trained Reformer instructor. Yes, they have those, and those instructors aren't qualified to teach Pilates anywhere in town. Now, this instructor. Pilates-trained instructors often cue better. I like her classes. Her voice is extremely squeaky though.

The first Advanced class was scheduled for the time slot after my PT. I blinked. Okaaaay. I can do it. PT is mostly weights and strength-training. I had 35 minutes of rest and hydration before going in to Reformer class, which usually is a stroll in the park for me since the gym's offerings are never that intense. Even in an Advanced class, I didn't think it would be that bad.

I was right. It was a great stretch. It was by no means easy. The instructor kinda threw quite alot at us. Mostly. 

We warmed up lying down on the carriage with single-leg bridges and bicycles and such. Then deep lunges to flamingo, standing side splits, squats, pulses and push-out holds on the carriage. And even a tendon stretch. planks to pike, and ended with Snake and Semi-Circle.

I kinda giggled at the program. I didn't think this class would include tendon stretch. But the program did. A tendon stretch on a Reformer isn't easy at all (it's harder on a Chair) for even Advanced practitioners. If these 'Advanced practitioners' only come to the gym's Reformer classes or another studio's group classes, and have never done a private or duo class at a proper Pilates studio, then you're not practicing at Advanced level yet. The risk of injuries is high. 

To do a perfect form of a tendon stretch without falling or straining your arms or hips, it requires some focused instruction from a dedicated instructor one-to-one. You need that for technique. And if you have not built some upper body strength, you can't do it. Or you end up doing it with knees bent, which completely defeats the purpose of a tendon stretch.

That is applicable to all other movements. I have seen some getting a back strain in class while doing spinal roll-ups. Or pretty much coming down too fast or too flat from a jackhammer. Or a simple plank to pike with the carriage in-and-out.

Okaaaay, It Is Ménière's

Before this bout of vertigo hit, I already had a diagnosis last year — Ménière's. I had gone for a few scans and an MRI. I hesitate to write out the official name because it's 'Ménière's disease'. The word 'disease' always scares people. This is not life-threatening at all, unless you do something stupid or have an accident while having a vertigo attack. This is just... ... ... a condition that one lives with. 

My first-ever vertigo episode in June 2021 knocked me out for four days. My second episode in January 2022 kept me home for three days. In 2023 and 2024, I caught these episodes before they were full blown. So I was simply woozy for the night or half a day, and once the meds went in, I was okay. Then this August 2025, I completely missed the signs and by the time I caught it and popped a pill in the night, I was down for 2.5 days; but it wasn't as debilitating as those first two episodes. 

For the longest time, I thought it was simple BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo). You know, ageing things. It has been happening once a year. But when vertigo lasts for days as one episode and is accompanied by ringing in the ears and crazy pressure, and such, I knew I should get it checked out. 

Ménière's is a disorder of the inner ear. This ringing and ear pressure that have plagued me for some years. Mostly in the right ear. I don't have migraines still. It probably developed over the years as an immune response to whatever allergies I have. And in the recent years, I have an imbalance of fluids in the inner ears — the ringing (tinnitus) is more pronounced in my right ear, and there's some crazy pressure that won't let up. I also have motion sickness that arose a few years back. So it's all linked.

I don't have chronic balance issues or hearing loss just yet. WHEWWWWW. 

The doctors didn't see a need for surgery to decompress the endolymphatic sac or severe the vestibular nerve. I have no interest in going anywhere near acupuncture or acupressure or taking any herbal supplements. I'm happy with oral medications or at worst, corticosteroid injections to the inner ear, but not gentamicin antibiotic. A combination of cinnarizine and cetirizine helps alleviate the symptoms of vertigo. 

I stayed in for two days, and I'm all better. Vertigo is no joke man. I'm not gym-fit yet, but I'm Pilates-ready and Gyrotonic-able. Hopefully these two light stretches will jiggle those ear crystals back into where they're supposed to be. I'm just relieved that I'm never into handstands, headstands, yoga and whatever assorted inversions. 

The friends and husband told me to stay in longer. They said that if I had headed out to lurch around, I might have be arrested for suspected K-pod vaping. WHAT THE. Hahahahahaah. You guys!!! I kinda stayed home for four days lah. I only went out for a light dinner and a breather, then to Pilates and Gyrotonic which helped immensely. What I will do is to decrease salt intake even more, go easy on alcohol and caffeine. Grrrrrrr. 

A 'Giardiasis Watch' for Choya

I put Choya on a 'Giardiasis Watch' for the past 14 days. She shared a space (a cafe) with a dog who had severe diarrhea, and he was diagnosed with giardiasis that very night. All our hearts sank. There's no point in going to the doctor now. I already know the risks of infection and such. ChatGPT provided a great summary for me. In many instances, ChatGPT is amazing. 

I already knew the dog had diarrhea, I didn't let Choya go near him during that hour. I cleaned her like crazy before we got into the car to go home. But she did step on the same floor that the dog did, and she licked her paws before I could stop her. At that point, I didn't know the dog would be Giardiasis Patient Zero. He might have shed giardia cysts on from his butt, fur and remnant fecal matter. The moment I knew the diagnosis, I cleaned house, and also bathed Choya with a medicated shampoo. 

The dog went to the vet clinic and was diagnosed with giardiasis and was doused with meds immediately. Excellent. He would heal fast with the right meds. What's horrifying to me is that the owners didn't heed the vet's advice to bathe him after the meds go in, or disinfect his bedding and the whole house. In fact, that dog hasn't been bathed for months, and it's quite obvious because he does smell. They went off for a much-awaited family vacation. I understood their choice. But I also realized that they had no idea what giardia is, what those cysts could do, and even if they knew, they didn't think anything much of the risks or this isn't on their priority list. I am not bothered to ask them what they think. At least they told me the diagnosis, and that he's being treated, and it's nothing more insidious (for the dog's sake). And that's all I need to know.  

Now, Patient Zero is on a course of antibiotics, which would be completed by the time his owners return from their vacation. If they get around to disinfecting the home and bathe him before the final dose of antibiotics, the chance of re-infection is immediately lowered. IF NOT, the danger is NOW, the 10 days after the final dose of antibiotics. There would have be plenty of giardia cysts shed and still existing in the home environment. Those little bastards are hardy af. The dog can pick it up again. In another week, if there is re-infection, it would happen then. 

It is the owners' choice to do what they prefer to. I'm not going to tell them what to do. It’s not my place to do that. 

BUT. It is my choice to not have Choya near said dog or their shared spaces till end September at the earliest to ascertain that no more giardia cysts remain on fur and surfaces, and her chance of being infected is kept super low. 

Need I also mention that giardiasis is zoonotic and can transmit to humans, especially those who are young, vulnerable and elderly, at risk of pneumonia and the immuno-compromised.

That's the burden of knowledge. If I didn't know, I didn't have to worry. But I know, so I worry. STILL. I'd rather know than not know. 

Giardia is highly contagious. It has no preventives and no vaccine (that is approved in SG). Next to leptospirosis, I'm deathly afraid of giardia and ticks. Giardia cysts and leptospira bacteria are insidious and can be picked up from a simple sniff of a contaminated area. The risks are high for any dog who walks and toilets outdoors. This is why I am anal about cleanliness at home, at entry points and I try to wipe Choya's paws before she gets to licking them. After she toilets and gets off of the grass and all, I wipe her paws as we sit down to dinner or a coffee. 

It has been a stressful 14 days of looking at Choya's poop, checking its texture, smelling it, giving her rabbits' ears with fur, probiotics and all trying to keep her stomach lining calm and easy, and hopefully drive out all potential giardia cysts before they even become trophozoites. She is not getting all an-clear till the weekend is done.

I calculated possibilities in an algebraic formula, drew up a skeleton of a 'Giardiasis Watch', and then I decided to let ChapGPT do it. It did a great job. Tehehehe. I checked in with Choya's doctor too. I also have friends who are veterinarians, but I do not bother to talk to them unless it's something major. Come on, you don't ask friends' for free advice or a free consult all the time when they do this (or other specializations) for a living. I respect our friendship too much to ask in this manner. My knowledge, complemented with Choya's doctor's advice, and ChatGPT's powerful core processing, resulted in a <5-minute draft of an excel sheet I wanted. LOL

As of today, the risks have diminished for Choya. I breathe easier. 

A Second Pint of Blood This Year

Had a mild shock when staff from the Bloodbank called and politely requested for a pint of my blood, and within seconds, fixed an appointment for me. Over a phone call. Wow. It wasn’t a scam. After the text confirmation of the appointment date came in, I double-checked it on the app. Okaaaayy. Legit.

I had just donated a pint in January. (One can donate 430-470ml of whole blood every 12 weeks.) I guess they really needed stocks of O-. Toddled down to a conveniently located Bloodbank to do the deed. I wouldn’t mind a new Blood Buddy squishie. 

Considering that I just cleared my medicals with the gynecologist and the cardiologist, and alcohol intake is still drastically reduced, it was a pretty good time to donate blood. My haemoglobin levels read 14.3 on the day of the appointment, and blood pressure was excellent-normal.

As the bag fattened, I broke out into cold sweat again. My blood pressure had plummeted and I had to rest. It wasn’t too bad though. It was very nice to have a cup of Milo in bed. Teeeheee. I really liked that bandage they wrapped for me — paw prints! 

They didn’t let me out of the bed till the doctor checked my blood pressure a third time. I went to the rest area, chugged a can of isotonic drink, rested for another 10 minutes, then strolled a Lululemon boutique to buy things, then cabbed home. With my new Blood Buddy squishie.

The staff gave me the whole spiel about after-care and taking it slow the next day. The fluids and iron needed to be replenished. They offered me iron tablets, but I declined. I have no issue with iron and red blood cell count and haemoglobin levels; food will balance them out within a day.

I heard the caution about not exercising for 24 hours after donating blood. It was repeated a number of times. I ignored it. By noon the next day, I have had a snack, a full dinner, and a glass of milk. I didn't touch alcohol and I don't intend to drink much for the next two weeks. And I had slept a full nine hours. 

When I woke up and felt perfectly fine, I made a judgement call. Went for an easy cardio class at the gym the next day at noon. Wheeeeee. It was themed 'Short Sharp Springs'. It ain’t no strength training day. It was truly all cardio, with an easy portion of weights. Of course I went light on the dumb-bells. I'm very attuned to my body. No wooziness at all. All good. 

Mildly Strained The PCL

Kinda strained the right knee. At the back. The back tendons were a tad painful. There was a light pop and a tendon or ligament went around the world (knee) and snapped back. WALAOEH. That rolling sensation hurt! I wasn't even doing anything. I was in a gym class, but not moving. I was done with a set and was going to sit down from a kneeling position. 

The last few times I had that over the years, were when I was squatting to water plants or mopping the floor on my knees and an odd bent angle caused the roll. That would either be the ITB (iliotibial band) or popliteus tendon to the PCL (posterior cruciate ligament).  

ChatGPT's fairly thorough explanation and a deep understanding of my body and weak points allowed me to pinpoint the strain. It's really due to weak glutes and weaker (or tight) hip abductors that caused excessive knee valgus (knees caving in), which will lead to that rolling sensation and pain. 

This sort of 'pain' goes away in two hours, and in two days, with the correct stretches, I'm back to 100%. It's a minor mechanical issue and not a significant injury. I've never gone so deep reading about VOP! Valgus Overload Prevention. I'm trying to prevent repetitive valgus stress so that the I don't actually get a full injury. Valgus stress on the medial side leads to MCL (medial collateral ligament) injuries. An ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injury would be even worse.

After that rolling pain, I iced that knee. I didn't have to hobble. While I don't have much issues with regular and functional movement be in kneeling or squatting or going down stairs, I noticed that in the day after the injury, I can't deep squat comfortably. The strained muscles and tendons in the back of the right knee twinged a little in a deep squat. So I know it's not 100% and I shouldn't push it. Luckily Pilates and Gyrotonic sorted me out. The final spirals and rotation at Gyrotonic resulted in a magical 'click' in the right knee and the last little bit of spasm cleared. Whewwwww.

I know I need to strengthen the posterior chain — glutes, hamstrings and especially my hips. Otherwise I would really have to hustle to the orthopaedic clinic. Thanks to strength training, I am very much stronger now, but in ratio, the hamstrings and glutes are still weak! OMG. And both my knees having a habit rotating inwards or outwards too much. Ugh. 

Strained the Elbow

Strained my medial epicondyle and its attached flexor tendons, also known as a golfer’s elbow. That tiny bump on the inside of your elbow. Although mine isn’t chronic, yet. This strain isn't caused one movement or one gym class. It’s caused by repetitive stress over three days of gym classes. Obviously my muscles aren’t strong enough to withstand what I made them do, and in the slightest off form, they protested. 

I know what the culprit is. Accck. All those tricep push-ups. I'm not strong enough to do 150 of them in a day, what more for three days in a row.

Naaah, this isn’t something I need a doctor’s consult on. I could stop by the osteopath clinic, but I didn't feel like it. It didn't seem that bad. I was quite certain I can stretch it out at pilates, gyrotonic and with targeted arm and shoulder rotations at home. 

I’ll never rush the healing. I’ll wait for any injury/strain to subside and feel 100% before resuming the usual intensity and pace. I could rest it for two days, but I couldn't have it frozen. So I took it easy on the exercise regime for the rest of the week and the next.

As the week went by, pull-ups didn't seem like an issue. Chest presses and overhead presses are. The slight twinge told me that the tendons are 100%. Then I tested it out gingerly at gym class yesterday. This class is fast, and that speed can cause injuries if I'm not careful or if I forget to use my entire core to help. Cleared 32 clean and presses on a 20-kg barbell. It oddly felt stronger, even. Alrighty, I'm back in business. 

Still, I skipped certain movements if it requires my elbow to be bent at angle carrying a weight for a prolonged few minutes. I certainly don't bother with holding any weights. No shame in that. If a goblet squat follows immediately after RDLs with dumbbells, then I'm ditching the 'goblet' and just doing the squat. I 'compensate' by going heavy on RDLs with two 15-kg dumbbells. A 30-kg deadlift isn't an issue at all.

Working Out 5 Days a Week

Not traveling means that I have no excuses to slack off at the gym. I don't over-eat during the festive season, so my abs are still here! Ha. Before the night thunderstorms return, I'd better get my exercise schedule in order and optimize that gym membership.

I work out five days a week. That's not an issue at all. I would do six days, but I need to rest aching muscles. I'll say it again, if your muscles don't ache once in two weeks or so, then you're not loading heavy enough or doing new moves and work the deeper muscles or target the obliques that we rarely use in daily movements. 

I don't need two hours in the gym on weights or machines. I only need 45 minutes to an hour each time. I'm not fond of doing back-to-back classes. Working out for two hours is crazy when I'm not in a profession that requires an insane amount of bulking up or flexibility. 

I still eat carbs, but I don't over-do it anymore. I've eased off on my alcohol even more. That sugar really fattens up the abs. NO GOOD. I really can't drink much and still hit the gym the next day at full strength. A mild hangover interferes with how heavy I can lift. I don't like that feeling of not being 90% when I'm not down with a flu bug or something. I do have vertigo that interferes with the exercise regime now and then. I can only try to keep it at bay, and this seems to mean less alcohol.

I've started this five-day schedule (again) in September 2024. This is how I prefer to pace out the different exercises that my body likes. I've managed to keep to it for months. I'm striving to keep to it this year too.

• Monday - personal training with Coach. That means weights and loads of weights. Heavy.
• Tuesday - BodyPump or some form of easy weights and cardio to stretch out. Medium weights but loads of movement. OR a 2.5km quick swim. 
• Wednesday- GRID format class similar to many gyms' offerings. Depending on the week, it's either horrible cardio or weights.
• Thursday - Pilates 
• Friday - Gyrotonic

Okay 2025 Q1, let's do this.

A Sudden Gum Abscess

Woke up to a mad toothache in the lower molar. This happened overnight. I thought I crunched something while hauling ropes and weights at the gym. I knew I would have to pop by the dentist, but I thought I'd give it 48 hours to see how the pain developed. In the meantime, I could only rinse the mouth with antiseptic wash, salt rinse, as well use anti-plaque toothpaste. 

When the pain receded the day after, and then almost went off, I knew it was likely a gum abscess. The molar didn't hurt anymore and pain went to the gums. Cold water soothed it without heightened sensitivity. 

At the dental clinic, I was offered anesthetic to ease the pain of a deep cleaning into the gums. I declined. That numbing spray would be sufficient. My pain threshold is rather high. I would rather know the pain so that I can identify it if happens again, or if any nerve damage to the teeth's roots happens. 

My dentist is meticulous and detailed. She cleaned out the gum abscess, checked on the X-ray to see how deep the periodontal recesses go, and she wasn't pleased by the deepening recesses or the loss of bone (on the teeth) from receding gums. Right now, my teeth are fine, and so are their roots and nerves. I've had gingivitis all my life, and now it might have progressed to the beginnings of periodontal disease. 

This was the first time it happened. If I don't want it to reoccur, I'd better watch it. I had slacked off on the flossing in the past month. So food bits got stuck, bacteria ensued, plague happened, and gums got inflamed. NO GOOD. Then biting down on the molar at the gym made it move a little and irritated the gums. Hence that mad toothache. Never ignore a toothache. Always get it checked out within a week, depending on how long you can tahan the pain. Went home with antiseptic gel, and strict instructions to start using interdental brushes. 

I've tried to keep the teeth super super clean all these years. So the disease is slowed but the gums are still receding. Ugh. I don't really want the whole tedium of having to see a periodontist for a full debridement and collagen shots to stimulate gum growth.  

Back at The Gym

I didn't actually slack off from pilates or the gym during the festive season. Since I'm in town, and if the instructors are working, then I'll turn up for classes. I only skipped a few days because the husband passed me his very vicious flu bug. Thankfully, mine wasn't that bad whereas he had full blown cough that almost turned into bronchitis and made two trips to the GP clinic to get the effective cough and flu meds.

I don't have an issue with food either. I have a very healthy relationship with food — I eat what I want to eat; I eat what my stomach can bear. (I count the macros for the floofs' diet more than I count mine.) Having IBS is the best deterrent to over-eating. I generally don't fancy festive food anyway. I also don't go to that many gatherings and I never over-eat to the point where I actually put on weight or become flabby in a matter of two weeks. My issue is always alcohol. The sugar. I need to drink less whenever I want sculpted abs and I want those abs to show. LOL. 

I'm not ambitious at these group classes at the gym. I carry the weights that I can do. And when I do them enough, I know when to go heavy, and when to go lighter. I'll never do kettlebell swings. Even though my form looks perfect, that's a slight rotation of the pelvis and the spine. The mild scoliosis is enough to induce the most debilitating back ache in my left lower back. So NOPE. No kettlebell swings ever.

In a Les Mills BodyPump class, I simply load up the bar (that's only 3kg) to 20kg, and use that weight all the way through. I don't bother adding on or decreasing the weights. The fast paced reps would kill me already. If I'm looking to squat or lift heavy, I do that on my own outside of this class. 

Pilates and Gyrotonic classes continue this year too! Sometimes I wonder if it's an overkill, but I know what I want out of both principles of movement. And they achieve different objectives alongside what I'm looking for in terms of body balance and mobility work. 

It's back to PT at the gym too. But PT is a thing that I dread. If I'm not feeling 90-100%, I don't bother seeing the coach that week. It'll just an utter waste. PT is still a good way for me to isolate weak points and work on them. I'm not very disciplined, so it's an incentive for me to be consistent with regular PT sessions. 

Still At It — Pilates & Gyrotonic

While I don't mind home studios, sometimes they're not fully outfitted. So I appreciate the facilities of a commercial Pilates or Gyrotonic studio. When schedules change, I had to seek a new studio and re-set how I approach doing pilates regularly and consistently. 

The gym's reformer classes are insufficient for my needs. I prefer the intimacy of the attention of an instructor since she could totally spot my weaknesses and correct them. That's enormously helpful to my spine. There's mild scoliosis since my teens that has always been held at bay. I intend to keep that going as I age.  

I'm even more conscious about keeping up with the fitness levels. Just that on some days, I'm a little wistful that I hit plateaus a lot more because I don't have ski trips or hikes to train for to break up the monotony of the 365 days. I could, of course, but I've made a conscious decision not to ditch the dog. I have no big push to make any plans for a solo trip next year. I'll fly out to somewhere if I feel too stifled. That's the privilege I don't take for granted. So I never whine about not being able to travel. Moot point. Anyway.

I have no interest to experience debilitating perimenopausal musculoskeletal aches and its associated symptoms.  I was early to class that day at the Pilates studio. Since the studio doesn't mind, I decided to warm up on the Gyrotonic bench. I hadn't done anything that morning before class, so the muscles were a tad cold. The spirals stretched out the spine and warmed up the obliques.