Further to my blog post on 17th February, I have done it. I have summoned up all my self-confidence, put on my best brave face, and ignored the butterflies which were having a party in my stomach, and I have entered the doors of a gym. Oh yes.
Now, I work in a school. And the school has a gym. Not the musty-smelling sort of place that I had at school, where the most active inhabitants were the mice that snacked on the gym mats. No. I am talking about a proper fitness room, full of shiny new bleeping instruments of torture (or ‘workout machines’ as they are also, less accurately, called). One of those places where disgustingly fit people go to show off their gorgeously honed bodies, to other equally aesthetically pleasing specimens. Yes. One of those.
Now, I am not in any way fit. Or aerodynamic. Or honed. No. But my intentions are good, and with a bit of help and encouragement from my colleague, Simon, I trudged my way up to the gym last Monday to ‘have a look around’. Now, the guys in the Sports Centre must have been extremely bored, as it was half term, as the minute we entered the building, they perked up and leapt upon me to give me a guided tour. I was helplessly propelled around the centre, and I must admit, it was quite nice. The final bit of the tour was the fitness room, and Levi, my lovely tour guide, put me on the spot by offering to give me an induction right there and then. Si, sniggering in the background, said he thought it was a good idea and then scarpered, leaving me to face the torture machines.
Now to be fair, Levi explained everything really well, and was very encouraging. He booked me in for 8am the next morning for my first session, and it was with some trepidation that I turned up the following day ready to face the torture.
Well, torture may be overstating it, but it was jolly hard work. Never has one woman been so red, sweaty or out of breath. Thank goodness there was only one person there to see it. Although, it was probably one person too much! Still, I got through it, and he has written out a programme for me to follow. And I have been following it. I went twice that first week, and have been twice again this week. My motivation came when Levi suggested that I reward myself with a new pair of shoes when I had been six times. I can see them in my now – they are high heeled, pink and fabulous. Worth the effort? Perhaps. Or perhaps not. Time will tell…wish me fitness!!
