At the start of this year I promised myself that I would spend this year returning my body to some form of fitness and I embarked on a healthier diet. However, I must admit that as far as exercise was concerned after the initial excitement of getting out walking etc, my enthusiasm waned.
So within the last 3 weeks I have been attending our local Leisure Centre where you can drop into various exercise classes and try them out.
First I tried aqua aerobics which was a bit of a damp squib (ha-ha) for me as I am terrified of water and refused to move from the shallow end of the pool but I must admit the instructor was very patient and by the end of the lesson I was actually doing my exercises away from the walls unaided!
When I tried spinning. Wow, was that hard work! But you know, I loved it. The
guy who led this indoor cycling class was very enthusiastic and had us cycling in the Tour de France. When we were riding uphill we had to stand and cycle but my legs being totally unco-ordinated refused to get into the rhythm so most of the time I remained seated. In this position, be warned, you are likely to get somewhat saddlesore! It was fun however and I am continuing with that class.
Next came aerobics - OMG, I hadn't done real aerobics for some years and this was such a shock to my system by the end of the class I was totally convinced of my lack of co-ordination and sense of direction. Every turn, every leg or arm movement you can bet I was doing the complete opposite to the rest of the class. Even when we did the floor exercises everybody waited while someone pointed out to me that I was facing opposite to everyone else! No, I'm not doing that one again!
Yoga next…. This is my dream exercise class, it's just perfect for me. Slow and
gentle, stretching, relaxing and deep breathing. Oh yes, my favourite by far and one that I am continuing with relish. Such serenity. Definitely good for the mind, but I also need more challenging exercise, so onward.
Now Zumba. What fun! I have never sweated
so much in my life, but the dance routines and movements were wonderful. Easier for younger people but I really enjoyed myself. Hard work, but definitely worth it.
All in all it was pretty hard work, but afterwards I felt so good I knew that I must continue the exercise regime. With this in mind for the first time in my life I joined the gym. Today I am going for my induction after which I can use the gym as much as I want. I'm really looking forward to it and I'll report back to you later.
Just experimenting here with watercolour - thought I would try the pouring method to see what I could do with it in portraiture. I think I need more practice!
