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Post-workout sweaty Toni is sweaty.

So I learned some really valuable things from hiring a personal trainer for an evaluation and one session (that was all I could afford--but money WELL spent).

First, my resting heart rate is higher than I'd like it to be. I'm not one of those people who has never worked out before in her lifetime, so of course I knew all about resting heart rates and working in your own target range in order to reap aerobic benefits. And while I know that determining those numbers can be subjective to each individual (example: when I was on strong asthma meds that boosted my resting heart rate, it always read higher), I think that knowing your optimal workout range and resting heart rate are useful.

So my trainer gave me a range to work within, and ever since I've been shooting for it while riding the recumbent bike, I work SO much harder. So now I can work out super-hard for 40 minutes instead of moderately for 60. I'll take it.

I also learned that while I'm not quite ready for regular push-ups, doing push-ups against a wall while standing on your toes makes them WAY more challenging. Great move for people with wrist/hand pain!

Finally, I HAVE ABDOMINAL MUSCLES. Who knew? They've been missing for the last decade, at least. I do "sit downs" on an exercise ball and I feel it afterward. It's a great feeling. I've never, ever gotten used to having a protruding belly; it just doesn't feel like ME since I always had a naturally flat stomach till having kids. Wider hips, muscular thighs? With me since puberty and I'm totally fine with them. But the big belly has its eviction papers and is on its way outta here.

So I'm going to try the exercises the trainer wrote up for me and hopefully I can hire her again in a few weeks as I get stronger. Also working up to taking a class or two at a gym, ankle/knees permitting.

The beautiful and talented personal trainer Chiraz Hasnaoui of Gymbox, featured on the cover of this month's Ultra-FIT magazine, styled (hair and make up) by me! I wanted her looking wild, like a lion, and glamorous, of course. Isn't she gorgeous, and a total inspiration?