The tension of the last few months' worth of health care debate is finally sliding off my back.

To President Obama's credit, I shouldn't have been so worried.  The one component of reform that I really was hinging on was the Public Option.  But I got so wrapped up in that one bit, that one idea of having the government pay for my health coverage, I forgot all the other points of reform that are so neccessary and valuable to our society.

That being said, one major idea about health care and wellness is being left out of the debate, or at least being undervalued:  Prevention.

To that end, I have decided to make my own contribution to my personal state of health, and to the health care reform question in general:

I have started going to a gym.

A few years ago, I was in the best shape of my life.  I was using my local university's rec center on a regular basis.  As a student at the time I got a good low rate, while at the same time bemoaning the fact that other state universities didn't charge for the use of their exercise facilities.  I got into really good shape, lost quite a bit of weight and was on my way to leading a regularly healthy lifestyle.

After a few months, however, classes and homework caught up with me and I was forced to make a decision between regular trips to the gym and actually completing all my homework.

Needless to say, since I am a recent graduate, I chose to drop regular gym visits.  I have put on the weight I lost since then, and have grown complacent and fallen out of good health.

But that changed last week when I decided to start going to the gym again.  I looked into the selfsame rec center and found that, as a graduate of the university I can recieve a cut rate that, although not as low as student rates, affords me the opportunity to hit the gym on a regular basis once again.

And with no classes to distract me, I feel sure that I will not fall out of the habit.

And it is a habit.  The endorphin release, the adrenaline rush, becomes an addiction, a rare good addiction that feeds you and helps you to be healthy.

Exercise increases immune function, helps to regulate sleep cycles, and fends off - prevents - incumbent health issues.

I have only been exercising for a week and already I feel the benefits.  In keeping a fitness journal I am once again watching my intake of food.  I have increased my intake of things like salads and vegatables.  I can already feel some of my muscle groups gaining in definition and size.  I sleep soundly and wake up refreshed.

And while, yes, my 2+ hour routine does make my muscles ache at the end of the day, it is a good ache that reminds me I'm doing something good for myself, and possibly making a contribution to health care issues by making my body well and preventing any future ills I might encounter.

What's my routine, you might ask?

It's not easy.  Nothing worth having or doing ever is.  But if you really want to do something for your body, one should follow the basics that have been imparted upon me by the various trainers and gym class instructors I have worked with:

Begin with cardio.  Walk, ride a bike, use an eliptical stair-stepper or Nordic Trac-style machine.  Whatever the case, I work at an hour of cardio every day which includes 20 minutes of walking, 20 on a bike and 20 on the stair-stepper.  I also follow this up with a routine of sit-ups, push-ups, jumping jacks, and arm raises.  Perhaps I should throw Burpies into the mix.  God, I hated Burpies in grade school.  Now I actually look forward to them!

Next, I work on weight machines.  If you are going to weight train I would suggest you go for fat burn rather than muscle mass increase.  This allows you to work at weights on a regular basis without burning out your muscles from the constant increase in amount of weights.  Choose a level at which you feel your muscles work but does not tax or overburn your muscles.  I often do the full compliment of weight machines at a rate of 10-12 repetitions per set, and two sets per sitting.  A set is a series of repetitions, or how many times you use the specific muscle group to lift the weight at hand.

In addition to the excellent health benefits my now-regular trips to the gym have afforded me, I also get time to myself.  Time to contemplate my life, meditate on the world around me, and most importantly, listen to my "Get Up and Go!" playlist full of pumped up music that's sure to get anyone moving.

Good night, good luck, and I hope to see you at the gym!