One sunny Monday afternoon in the beginning of May, I found myself sitting on a nurse… One sunny Monday afternoon in the beginning of May, I found myself sitting on a nurse practitioner’s cold, sterile examining table at Student Health. I was about to begin a new summer job, which required me to have a physical. This did not make me happy, because I have a bit of a phobia about everything and anything medical.

But the whole affair was surprisingly benign; the nurse was nice, and it didn’t take very long.

“You’ve got a good strong heart,” the nurse told me after checking my pulse. “A nice low resting heart rate. Do you exercise on a regular basis?”

“Ummm, not really,” I said. “But I plan to start.”

And I meant it. Always one to respond to positive reinforcement, the nurse’s comment inspired me to embark on an exercise journey. Her cardio-compliment made me feel as if I had the potential to be a real fitness superstar, a la Richard Simmons.

So for the first time in my college career, I began going to the gym on a semi-regular basis. Based on my 1 1/2 month foray into the fitness world, I’d like to offer a few random insights.