Anyone who knows me will know that I don’t get enough exercise. Over the last year or so I have lost a bit of weight due to having a better diet and being a little bit more active. Now that I’m working from home almost all the time I thought it would be a shame to reverse the trend and start putting it back on through leading an even more sedentary lifestyle. Something had to be done.
I don’t get on with exercise for the sake of it at all, so the idea of going to the gym just does not appeal. I decided that two things I could probably bear to do are cycling and swimming.
Since Jenny moved in it’s become pointless for her to keep up her gym membership in Holtspur, so last week we took a walk down to Feltham Airparcs Leisure Centre to see what it was like. From the outside it looks a bit drab, run down and 1960s so I wasn’t expecting much, but in fairness their pool looked quite good. Jenny wasn’t overly impressed with the look of the gym but she decided to give it a go anyway, and when she did get around to it this week she found it was better than it looked.
I also bought a basic bicycle from Halfords and this morning I cycled the 1.5 miles to Airparcs and went for the early bird swimming session, then cycled back. It’s the first time I’ve been swimming in something like 20 years, but once I’d got into the rhythm it was fine. Normally the early bird session is from 7am until 9am but in school holidays it finishes at 8.15am, so I only got just over an hour in. I liked how quiet it was this morning — no annoying kids at all even though it’s holidays — so I hope it’s like that every week. I think there were 9 people there including me at the busiest time.
It’s a small step but I’m really pleased that I seem to be able to get along with it, and if the pool stays quiet like it was today then I could see me going up there for an hour or two several times a week.
Inevitably I look a complete tit in my cycle helmet as well, but I can just about ignore the odd looks I get from all around me!
Well done Andy, the hardest part of improving your fitness is those steps that get you out the door. Once you’ve done that you’re on your way.
It’s hard I know, not to wonder about what others may be thinking of you with your helmet on, or diving in the pool. But you have the moral high ground; you’re out there doing something to get fit, and change your life. Welcome to the moral high ground, it’s a fun place to meet up with like minded people.
Once you’ve built up a bit of stamina in the pool, consider having a few lessons, so that you can get some coaching on your technique, that way you’ll get fitter quicker, and stop doing the washing machine impression that I can demonstrate so well.
The next thing you’ll be doing is finding a slightly longer route to get to and from the pool, maybe through parks, just to get that extra half mile in 🙂