I sold my house in Canada last June. Sometime during that month I gave away my elliptical to a friend. I haven’t been on a fitness machine since.

When I arrived in Belgium for good in late January, I saw my exercise program centering on cycling and walking. But cycling has faded from my soul, and walking doesn’t get my heart rate up enough.

So … enter the Basic-Fit fitness centre in Ghent centrum, only a seven-minute walk from me. I went for a visit yesterday, bought a day pass and listened to a staff member translate the elliptical instructions from Flemish.

I sighed. May this machine before me be smooth. Another beginning.

Ellipticals engage both the legs and arms. The long things do this circular rhythm above the foot pads and the shorter things go forward and back on the handle bars. I love the flow of it all.

My mind was full of memories of restarting fitness activities after a long break. Time and again I’d do too much that first time, then ache for a few days after. “Not today, Bruce!”

I remembered my flaring ego on previous elliptical journeys. For one thing, stay on the beast for an hour. (No thanks) Then, burn at least 600 calories, occasionally stretching to 800. What a man! (Good luck)

Am I older and wiser these days? Yes.

I adjusted the machine to a low resistance (5 of 25) and put my feet on the pads. “Let’s see what works.”

Oh … the return of the rhythm! Sweet moments of the past returned. It felt slow and easy. My ego thankfully was taking a back seat.

After five minutes I’d burned 25 calories, which works out to 300 per hour – half of what I’d done in previous incarnations.

“So what? Who cares?” and words like that. I wasn’t going to be bamboozled this time.

I felt my body after 15 … 20 … 25 minutes. The sweat was here, plus a tiny fatigue. “Stop at 30.” I smiled and agreed. Calories? 175 … including a three-minute cool down. Good for me – in so many ways.

***

This morning I awoke with no soreness. I’m sitting in the waiting room of Solidaris, an organization that’s going to give this Canadian some health care coverage. After I’m done here, it’s off to Basic-Fit. I’m going to become a member! And I’ll get on the elliptical again.

If I only burn 150 calories, I promise to laugh

***

I burned 226 … and still I laugh. I figure I need Basic-Fit to help me expand my musical life. There’s a mysterious connection between exertion and expression. I’ve been out of balance for a year. It’s time for the physical and the spiritual and the musical to entwine.

I’m a member. Plus I got a free Basic-Fit backpack. Here’s what I looked like before elliptical time. The smile remains.