After living a sedentary life for about 4 months, I decided to start playing badminton once again. Since Klang has 2 badminton courts right smack in the middle of our hostel, it has been a popular sport among us, students there. However, the initial fad wore off and only the real enthusiasts continued to play weekly.

One day, during our ward rounds, one of my group mate’s patient was transfered from the surgical ward (3rd floor) to the medical ward (8th floor). Since my male fellow group mates were being such “gentlemen”, 3 of us girls ended up not being able to board the elevator and had to take the stairs. When we finally reached the 8th floor, one of us had claudication (pain in the calf), another was breathless and I was having severe palpitations. I suddenly realised that my effort tolerance was probably as bad as some of the patients in the ward with heart failure or severe asthma.

That was it. It was time to start exercising again. After many foiled attempts due to bad weather and poor timing, I finally had the chance to play on Thursday and Friday night. Why two nights in a row? I guess I was over-enthusiastic. However, when I awoke this morning, I felt as if a truck ran over me. My right hand was also limp and had tremors when I held anything that had some weight to it. It sure seems that sudden exertion after being dormant for so long isn’t quite the smartest thing to do.

The moral of the story is:

Always do things in moderation.