Tag Archives: Exercise classes

A Change in Routine

fitness,

routine

One of the best things about having my exercise routine is the routine itself.  I love thinking Monday-pump, Tuesday-Run, Wednesday-Conditioning and Zumba etc.  It’s become second nature and I really enjoy it (yes really, I know, enjoying the gym, who’d have thunk it!).  It’s a ritual, a way of life, but I face a threat to this happy situation as my routine may be changed for several weeks.

 

My first thought when I realised that my routine was changing was: I can’t get to the gym!  And that has probably helped me, in that I didn’t see the break of routine as a chance to have a holiday from the exercise.  The odd missed class or run happens, I do know that, but a whole two weeks of losing my beloved routine was too much to bear.

 

So what did I do?

1)    My first thought was what can I salvage?  What part of my routine can survive?  My runs are safe as they are early morning, and metafit was the one class I could make. So I knew I could do these.

2)    Then I looked at the gym list.  What alternatives could I do?  Are there the same classes at different times or even different classes to try?

3)    Re-jigging my work/life/family balance.  I am lucky, really lucky.  I have an incredible supportive husband who always supports whatever zany, madcap idea I have.  After checking the class timetable I worked out that I could do several classes if my husband did even more taxi-ing around.  He agreed.

4)    I decided to keep to the classes I know.  It could have been an opportunity to try new classes, but I enjoy those classes and am hoping this is a short term thing, and I can go back to ‘my normality’ soon.  I also feel that I will be more likely to keep this routine up.

 

So it will be interesting to see how I maintain this routine. I am hopeful I can keep it up, mainly because I enjoy it so much.  And that I believe is the key…

All the best,

Woodyrunning spoon

To Gym or not to Gym…

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gym

It seems incredible but it will shortly be 2014. And with the New Year comes New Year resolutions, and many of them revolve around getting fitter. And already in my gym there are advertisements about the offers for the New Year. And how many of us join the gym in January, get our money’s worth for a few weeks and then end up paying many month’s subscriptions and not going near the place. Oh, so not just me then? So here are my thoughts on choosing a gym. I am hardly a wonderful role model. I have been to several and not used them to their full potential, and they’ve ended up being very expensive. So I know what not to do!! But at present I am a gym bunny, so I hope you find these ramblings helpful.

Do you really need to join a gym?

Examine your reasons why you are thinking about joining the gym. Can you achieve your fitness using other mean, i.e. running or joining a sports club? If you think that you won’t be a regular user, what about pay as you go or finding exercise classes run in halls?

What do you want from your gym?

Gyms come in all shapes and sizes with price tags to match. Think about what you want from your gym. If you love swimming and aqua aerobics it makes sense to join a gym with a pool. The more facilities the gym has the more expensive it will be, but enquire whether they offer different memberships, such as swim only or off peak membership (My dad and step mum have this and it saves them a fortune). Have a look around the gym and talk to gym users. You can get a feel for the place, and whether it will suit your needs. Check out the classes it offers and what else is included in the price. Ask about the induction and what support you get. It certainly varies. One gym I went to you got five sessions with a trainer. My present gym (which is comparable in facilities and price) only offered one.

Location, location, location

This is the key. If you want the gym to fit in with your life, the more convenient the better. So think about when you will exercise. Depending on when this is will depend on where the best place for gym is. For instance if you exercise during your lunch break, a gym near your work place is ideal. If you’re an early bird then a local one will be better. If you are a long suffering parent of a sporty child it could be that wherever they do sport has a gym and rather than sitting around, use the gym (I did this when my eldest was at a different swimming club, very convenient). This will help ensure you use the gym and it fits into your life.

A gym can be an inspiring, friendly place where you can achieve your goals. But it can also be an expensive luxury. If you take the plunge, a little bit of time thinking about your requirements and being realistic can save you pennies and gain a wonderful tool in your fight against the flab!

All the best,

Woodyrunning spoon

Metafit

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old-worn-sneakers-13616441

A few weeks ago I read a Gaby Logan tweet where she extolls the virtue of metafit.  A quick google of it told me it was a bodyweight class that used interval techniques.  It’s 30 minutes and I found my gym ran a class.  So off I went to try it.

 

WOW! Writing it down it doesn’t seem so bad, but it involves doing exercises such as the plank, squats, lunges, squat thrusts etc for a short period, and then having a very short rest and then going again.  You repeat the exercises until you finish the round and then it’s different exercises that take over.

 

By the end I was dripping in sweat and I ached considerably. I am so pleased it’s half an hour.  But I can really feel the benefits and it’s become a firm favourite and a class that I intend to do as much as possible.

All the best,

Woodyrunning spoon

My Rocking Routine

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old-worn-sneakers-13616441

There is a delicious irony in writing this post all about my usual routine, when it is half term and the routine has gone out of the window.  Hey ho!  But hopefully it will ensure that I am back on the routine as quickly as possible.

I am really enjoying this routine and the fact that I have kept it up for close to 2 months is a testament to that fact.  And as I am sure you don’t need me to tell you, if you are enjoying something you are likely to continue with it.

So currently I do this:

Monday: Body Pump

Tuesday: Run

Wednesday: Body conditioning, Zumba

Thursday: Run, aqua aerobics

Friday; Rest day

Saturday: Run

Sunday: Rest day (occasional run or gym)

I feel I have a nice variety.  Body Pump and Body Conditioning helps tone me, Zumba is a bit of fun and as it is straight after Body Conditioning I think it helps to build up my stamina, and Aqua Aerobics is fun and I like to think of as active recovery (oh technical term there!!), as by Thursday my legs are a little achey and the water certainly helps them.  The classes are very enjoyable and have brought a camaraderie  that I didn’t expect. And I am sure the classes are having a positive effect on my weight loss and running.  And most lovely of all, I am thoroughly enjoying them.

All the best,

Woodyrunning spoon