So, we drive there, we park up and we
go in through a turnstile to the changing rooms. There are mirrors
everywhere just to remind you of how much you consumed throughout December and
are still hanging on to it in early February. You suck in but it’s no use, the
extra pounds have nowhere to hide. The message should be that you have come to
right place but the ego mind is telling you different. It’s not really your
scene and you fit in more with the folks in your local pub, at least they make
conversation and they are real, yes unlike the images posted all around of
attractive toned tanned bodies in gym wear holding kettle bells or other
equipment saying positive things like “ you too can look like this.” Yeah
right you mutter. Out on the gym floor you see lots of machines and
strange looking contraptions all around. You ask yourself, what shall I
go on first. Well the treadmill looks easy, you can manage that movement.
So you go for a twenty minute walk on a tread mill going nowhere on a flat
surface without any change to the scenery or level. That wasn't so hard
was it? Then you see a stationary bike, again it has a ring of familiarity to it, you cycled as a kid, the movement should be like riding a
bike if you will. So ten or fifteen minutes of that as you play with the gears
a bit and get your heart rate up. You come off, your thighs feel as
though you've worked them a fair bit well good. Now there you see the opportunity to sit down on the job, a rowing machine. Sit down get comfortable,
strap in and off you go. Twenty minutes of this and you get a cardio workout as
well as toning arms, legs, bum and abdominal muscles. Now that’s worth
it. All the other machines in the studio look unfamiliar and you need
someone to show you what to do because you really don’t want to show yourself
up.
That was me about ten years ago when I
decided to join a gym but the more I used it the fitter I became and the fitter
I got the more new hobbies I took up like cycling, yoga and for a time
even indoor rock climbing. However work commitments mounted and I found I no
longer had the spare time to spend in the gym so reluctantly I had to cancel my
membership as it just wasn't worth the money any more.
I thought I could keep fit without the
aid of machinery. So I got rid of the car and cycled to work each day,
walked my dog every evening and practiced yoga once a week. As well
as all of that, I was eating a healthy balanced diet with all the food groups
avoiding processed ready meals. (I love cooking) Before you decide that I'm a
freaky health fanatic let me also point out that I often spend hours laying on
my bed reading, or on the sofa watching films (I can digest up to three films
in a row) I like a bit of chocolate and enjoy wine. I have a tendency to
gain excess fat around the middle especially in winter months.
Two years down the line I decided to go
back to my old gym just to test my theory. Am I as fit without membership
or have I become a slim weakling? I'm not joining yet just using the free
trial passes that they offer.
This time it was all very familiar, they've added some features like electronic touch screen demo's and more hand
held equipment, but at least it wasn't as daunting for an old timer like me. I joined a fifteen minute core class to start with, then I did a spin workout on
the stationary bikes. This was really good fun and it had music to spur you on.
I enjoyed the fact that there was no danger of crashing and falling so I pedalled as fast as my legs could go. It was a great cardio workout without
much pain but after I dismounted I realized my legs felt like jelly. I
soldiered on into the circuits class.
I left the gym in a state of exhaustion
and for two days I could hardly walk at all. However four days later I returned
for more punishment. I did the fifteen minute core class which my abdominal
muscles felt this time from lack of a full recovery. Then I did an hour of body
pump class using not very heavy weights. Here there was lots of lunges and
squats to loud music which is supposed to take your mind of the pain. I
made the most of my free day pass and did the athletic free style which
involved lots of explosive movements with handheld equipment. This time I left
the gym with aching arms but I felt surprisingly toned already just from these
two sessions.
Apart from the stationary bike, my
visit to the gym didn't involve the use of much machinery and so I conclude we
can keep very fit without treadmills and rowing machines. My home fitness
regime however is not as efficient as going to the gym as I found out through
the pain and recovery period. I must have been much fitter when I attended
regularly but now the question is, do I really need to maintain that level of
athletic fitness or is it enough just to be reasonably healthy.
Our bodies quickly get used to regular
habitual movements and I think the most important thing I have learnt is that I
need to be mixing things up a bit so that all muscles get used. I will be
stepping up my home workouts for certain.
Gym membership? Personally my answer
remains the same. It’s expensive and I don’t have the time to justify the
money. However if I were struggling with my weight I think the gym would be the
best and quickest solution. The faster the results come the more encouraging it
is to keep working and it is not so easy to push yourself as it is to have
someone do it it for you.
Next week I am going to an outdoor boot
camp. I am dreading it but looking forward to the results.
Marianna Martin
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