The first time my good friend met me jogging in the park, all she could do was give a hearty laugh – at me!

“What’s funny?’ I laughed and she said,

‘So, when people come out for jogging you come out too? ? Don’t get skinny, my friend Please go home.’

It was a joke but, to be honest, she was not the only one who had said I shouldn’t come out to jog. I should do Yoga at home and give some space to the people who truly needed it.

“Who are the people who truly need it?”

‘The Overweight.”

‘You mean the obviously overweight?’

‘Whatever, but please go home. It’s not for your kind. You can do a light exercise like walking or stretching, sit-ups. She mentioned Yoga too. Not just strenuous exercise like jogging and running in the field.

‘But jogging is not a strenuous exercise!’

“It is for me!”

“Well, ” I said, “I do this because I like the feel when sweat from the centre of my head drip down my two cheeks to my jawline, collect right under there and drip down my neck to my chest. Once I achieve that, I’ll  go home.” She joined me but she thought I was being hard on myself.

I looked ok to my friend but one thing she didn’t know was that I was overweight. I am 166cm ( 65 inches) tall and weighed 78kg (165 lbs) at the time.

How was it that she didn’t see I was overweight? 

Looking at what health professionals say about the normal weight for someone having my height, I was overweight for crying out loud. My healthy weight was supposed to be around 65-68kg ( 143-150 lbs)

Besides, I love to stay strong and healthy. I like to be flexible and have some balance to mention but a few.

So, I run up and down the quiet hilly roads close to me every morning or at least every other morning. I feel really gooooooood doing so. I don’t go home until I feel the sweat dripping on my chest. I like how relaxed I feel after and I like the inspiration I gather along the way.

What about you? Do you find time to sweat? Do you think exercising is only to keep down excess weight alone?