Exercise should be done in moderation.

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Character: Chen Jue
Strength: 0.78
Constitution: 0.93
Spirit: 1.05
Skill: [Skipping Stones Lv1 (5/200)]
Available Free Attribute Points: 0.01
(Character Evaluation: An ordinary office worker; your body is in a state of severe sub-health.)

——————

“My stats increased!”

Chen Jue stared excitedly at the panel’s message. Though he was worn out from this trip to the gym, it had not been in vain. Not only had he learned a great deal about fitness, exercise, and the human body, he had also undergone a physical assessment and gained a rough understanding of his current decline. But most importantly, he had earned 0.02 attribute points. Especially after his strength rose by 0.01, he felt a faint swelling in the muscles of his legs. It was subtle, but Chen Jue could clearly perceive it.

As for the free attribute point, Chen Jue immediately allocated it to constitution. The constitution stat increased from 0.93 to 0.94.

After completing five sets on the seated leg press machine, Chen Jue was completely exhausted. As he slid off the seat, his legs trembled uncontrollably. Had it not been for that point added to constitution, he would surely have collapsed to the floor.

“So tired!”

“So exhilarating!”

“I feel more drained than after three rounds in one night!” Chen Jue gasped, resting a hand on the equipment beside him.

Li Chaoqun, who was nearby, quickly crouched and kneaded Chen Jue’s thigh muscles.

“Good, the results are impressive.”

“For a first session, you’ve done remarkably well,” Li Chaoqun praised, evidently misled by the sudden increase in Chen Jue’s attributes.

“Coach Li, should I keep going?” Chen Jue managed an awkward smile after catching his breath. “I don’t think I can even walk.”

He finally understood why those fitness enthusiasts in discipline videos wore expressions of agony during their workouts.

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This was indeed quite something!

“Usually, personal training sessions here last forty-five minutes, with a fifteen-minute break. Actual exercise time is about half an hour.”

“It’s your first time, and your body hasn’t fully adapted to such high-intensity activity. It’s best not to push any further today.”

“Exercise should be gradual. Your ankles and leg muscles will likely feel sore over the next few days. That’s just excess lactic acid produced by your muscles—a normal response, nothing to worry about.”

“Apply some heat when you get home, rest well, and come back after you recover.”

Li Chaoqun patiently explained, detailing everything Chen Jue needed to watch out for after his first workout. He even shared stories of people who, through ignorance and lack of restraint, had overdone it and suffered muscle breakdown.

Chen Jue shivered as he listened. He recalled seeing similar cases in the news—not just once, but several times a year.

……

“Thank you for your guidance, Coach!”

With the free trial session concluded, Chen Jue thanked Li Chaoqun. By this time, the gym was gradually filling up. The row of treadmills was packed, mostly with people warming up for fat-burning workouts.

Of course, there were also seasoned athletes, those who came straight to Li Chaoqun for personal training.

Seeing the coach busy, Chen Jue scanned the QR code on the wall and added Li Chaoqun on WeChat. He then wandered around the gym on his own.

He was easing the soreness in his legs with a slow walk. Based on last night’s experience—when skipping stones had left his right arm useless—he expected both legs to be in agony by tomorrow.

According to Li Chaoqun’s advice, after intense exercise it’s best not to sit down immediately, but to walk slowly to speed up blood circulation. Sitting causes the lower limbs’ joints to bend, increasing resistance to venous return and hindering blood flow. This slows down the oxidation and breakdown of lactic acid in the muscles, leading to greater accumulation.

In severe cases, it can even reduce the heart’s blood supply, triggering shock.

“I never realized there was so much to learn about fitness.”

“I wonder how long it’ll take to reach the level of these regulars.” Chen Jue shuffled about, observing the members who came to exercise.

He noticed that those who worked out regularly—regardless of age or gender—had remarkable vitality and appearance. Their complexion, physique, and even their posture—standing or sitting—were markedly straighter than ordinary people.

Years spent at a desk had left Chen Jue with anterior pelvic tilt and a protruding lumbar spine; his posture, whether sitting or standing, was always unnaturally bent.

Add to that smoking, drinking, and frequent late nights, and his appearance simply couldn’t compare to these members.

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After observing for a while, Chen Jue couldn’t help but reflect, “No wonder the physical assessment machine showed my body age as three years older. The gap is truly significant!”

With a week left on his trial card, Chen Jue planned to return for more workouts once the muscle soreness subsided.

Today, however, was out of the question; his legs and right arm were nearly incapacitated, leaving only his left hand functioning freely.

Just as he was about to drag his weary body home, Chen Jue noticed a small glass partition in the gym, stocked with recreational games and board games.

On the wall hung a round disk of black and white.

“What’s this?”

“A leisure sports room?”

He opened the door and took a closer look at the round disk hanging on the wall. Apart from the black and white base, the disk was ringed with prominent numbers from 1 to 20, arranged in a certain pattern. There were red and green segments clearly marked, resembling some sort of game.

“Is this darts?”

“I think I saw someone play this back in school!”

Chen Jue found a matching box on the shelf, containing an instruction manual and two sets of red and green darts with needle tips.

He glanced at the manual and discovered that darts was actually considered a sport, with even international competitions.

It was just past ten in the morning, and since his left hand was still usable, Chen Jue followed the rules in the manual. He stood at the marked line, picked up a dart, and aimed at the target for a trial throw.

“Thunk~”

The red dart with tail fins embedded itself in the target.

Having just read the instructions, Chen Jue knew he’d hit a scoring segment. The closer to the bullseye, the higher the score. His throw landed on the outermost segment.

But as soon as he threw the dart, Chen Jue was stunned!

Because the pixelated window in his vision popped up with another notification!

[Ding~]

[Action meets requirements]

[Skill activated: Darts]

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