The life and times of a reticent gym-goer
My younger sister has spent years telling me that exercise is good for you. My mother’s answer to all problems, e.g. “I have a headache”, “I have backache”, “I am tired”, is that you need to get some exercise. Now I am starting to think there may be some truth in their comments. Throughout school I have hated most exercise. I loved walking, gymnastics and trampolining, but things like netball, hockey and running were, in my mind, very unnecessary to my life.
About 5 years ago I started doing Pilates. Initially I started doing it because I had a bad back, but I also found that it helped with my hyper-flexibility, improved muscle-tone and was relaxing. I love Pilates… it has been pretty life-changing for how I feel about myself. Then I started swimming and did that 4 or so times a week and that also helped to improve my fitness, but I started getting bored.
At Christmas I made the decision to start going to the gym. I have always been a passionate anti-gymer, but I decided something had to be done about my weight. So, since January I have been going to the gym at least 4 times a week as well as doing Pilates and I have lost 1st 3lbs. Whilst I can’t say that I love it, I have certainly found it to be mood-altering and on Thursday I was in the foulest of all foul moods (I made Robert Mugabe look reasonable) but an hour in the gym (plus a glass of wine and a chocolate muffin – ooops!!!) seemed to help my mood, and even my bad head-space. The other plus side is that not only have I lost weight, but I have lost about 3 inches off my waist and several inches off other parts of my large body. Who knows, one day I might be wafer thin!!
11 Comments »
RSS feed for comments on this post.
Well done on the positive effects and what you’ve lost. Think you can quite happily allow yourself wine and muffins.
I totally and completly agree with you. I’m also on a weight loss mission at the moment (when you met me I had just got inside the BMI ‘normal’ range, but I’ve lost about 1.5 stones). I find excercise so so good. As I can’t want far (and definatly not run) I have to be creative – swimming and cycling (recumbent tricycling, specifically) are my things. The last two months I’ve not been able to do either, and I have noticed it’s effected my mood and my sleep. It’s like I feel wired … I want to go burn it all off. So yeah, I know what you mean. Keep it up.
p.s. I am with you on the hockey and netball – there is never an excuse for any kind of team sports 😉 I hate em, always have, always will. I’m a solitary excercise sort of girl.
That was clearly supposed to say ‘walk’.
Apart from walking and doing pilates classes I definitely prefer to exercise alone. As long as I can put the headphones on and watch the tv or listen to music I am fine 🙂
Es, I dream of a normal BMI!
You’ll get there if you continue to enjoy excercise. The problem is when if you hate it but feel like you ought to do it. I am quite pleased to be normal again, if for no other reason than my GP might get off my back.
Whilst I don’t love it, I find myself quite enjoying it every now and then. That is a bit of a shock. I keep changing my programmes around to keep interested in it.
Ooh, well done you. Not just on the weightloss but on discovering the joy of exercise.
I’m the opposite of you and ES though – I enjoy team/group exercise much more than solitary.
Yes, well done. Looking forward to seeing the new slimline you soon!
I stood on the scales this morning and seem to have lost a few pounds this last week, so I’m pleased about that. But I think it’s due to not having a chocolate machine outside the bedroom door while I’m down here with the outlaws – come next week when I’m back at uni the choc machine may prove too much of a temptation again!
For some reason I started wondering why you had a chocolate machine outside your bedroom door at home. Then I re-read what you had written and it made more sense!!
I also thought you were talking about a chocolate machine outside your bedroom door – I think this is a fab idea.
Auntie – I am a bigger girl too and they only sport I liked at school was trampolining: anything that fun can’t possibly be fun 😀
I started the year determined to deal with the weight thing, having put (about) a stone on after giving up smoking. Its may and i’m still procrastinating about starting exercise.
So, in conclusion… You’ve inspired me to get going, and as you seem to like/hate the exercise I like/hate , I might give pilates a go 😀
oooo I loved trampolining too!!
JennyAnn… at least you have managed to give up smoking. I haven’t even managed that yet!