Hey Ink!
I used to play football and track (shot, discus, javelin) in high school and when not drinking in adulthood, running. I was so proud of myself when I finally made it 5 miles at a time! Well drinking stopped that!
I'm 40 now and after a very long time of eating very poorly, rarely exercising, I decided to change my diet and join a gym.
I just went yesterday to the gym and met with the nurse (it's affliated with a hospital) and a trainer and came up with a program that doesn't push it too much. I was very happy to discover that my blood pressure was 132/84 and my heart rate was 64. The blood pressure is still alittle high. Just 8 - 9 months ago my blood pressure was 180!
I guess what I'm trying to say is that perhaps you should see a doctor and get checked out first and both of you come up with a exercise plan. Or perhaps if you join a gym they can help you come up with a plan.
It's better to be safe than sorry.
I can't wait to go to the gym today! And I too was very academic - constantly reading - but I guess that's what English majors do! But exercising always helped me concentrate more.
It is exciting to get back to working out!
Good Luck and be Healthy.
Richard