Fitting In (General Fitness Tips)

Member Name: Whitehorse

Product:	General Fitness Tips
Date:	01/07/03 (693 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Feel better, Look better, Live longer

Disadvantages: Cost, self-confidence issues, finding the time

I've always been big. When I say big I don't mean huge - 'big boned' was the kindlier term when I was a child. As an adult I count myself lucky that my excess weight is distributed proportionatly. I was never the biggest in the school or anything like that but I always had the constant fret that I wasn't average sized. At school this meant the crippling horror of PE, the utter boredom of Sports Day, the cruel punishment of cross country running in the middle of winter which by the way did mean cross country where I used to live! I never ran, I always walked and most often could be found talking to the cows in the field opposite the school.

There were catty remarks and cruel smacks of the hockey stick - accept when it came to netball, volleyball and rounders. I was always picked first for those. In netball I could shoot, volleyball I could get the ball over the net with flair and with rounders I could whack the ball so far across the field I could comfortably walk round the bases.

Brought up to be constantly mindful of 'danger' in the world, I wasn't allowed a bike, I rarely ran because I might fall over, I didn't do handstands incase I broke my neck (a phobia I've never got rid of), I didn't do forwards rolls for the same reason. I never played 'sliders' on the ice because I was too scared of breaking my leg (it happened to a girl up the road so that was that when my parents heard). I did skip and occasionally jump and bizarrely despite all the parents fears they allowed me to horseride. Exercise for me was something I didn't understand. Super self-conscious of my body I was out of touch with what it was capable of doing. I was afraid of hurting it and desperately fearful of looking stupid.

These of course are issues of self-esteem. Looking back I can see the reasons for how I became like that and why I became over-weight. My parents were always good about including fresh fruit and ve
getables, but these were in conjunction with crisps and all the rest of the junk. My Dad was starved as a child and consequently there was always a big thing about 'eating all your dinner' and having nice food in the house. Tied in with all that was a constant commentary on how much weight I had put on or lost. Most of the time my confidence was wrapped in ropes of guilt and shame.

As an adult I've never really shaken this off although I have come to a place where I now know I am the one in control plus I know a great deal more about what constitues a healthy diet. After a period of bulimia when I was much younger and fad diet after fad diet, some years back I suddenly woke up to the fact that I was screwing my body. My metabolism had gone into starvation mode and without exersize there was no way of speeding it all up.
I didn't want to have a bad relationship with food and I didn't have to. It took some time but I was growing in awareness that food really wasn't the problem it was exercise. In fact, I eat a very healthy diet - vegetarian, health conscious, ethically minded - fruit, veg, tofu, nuts, seeds, sprouts etc. Of course I have the occasional bit of chocolate or cake but I don't crave them. No longer do I reward myself with food as I was taught to as a child although that's possibly how the smoking happened but that's another story...

I've never got to that place of 'accept yourself as you are' - not even after reading 'Fat is a Feminist Issue' and years of therapy. I don't belon the the fat is fit fanclub. I can tell myself a billion times that I'm fine as I am and that little voice inside will shout back in dissent! I honestly applaud those who can get that place in truth and be comfortable whatever size they are. Personally I think they are the rarity. At 35 I suddenly find myself curious about what my body can do, how it can move, the shape it could be, the experience
of living happily in my skin.

I don't drive so I walk just about everywhere but most of my time is spent sat at my computer so over the years I have noticed how joints creak and groan and limbs seem harder to get moving in the morning. I guess I really am now at that age where I am far more conscious of how I am shaping my future as well as my body depending on what I do now. So I began to think about what I could do for exercise. It's funny how people assume when you are larger that you don't like exercising. Sure there were some things I was nervous of but in fact there's many things I enjoy about exercise. I do have a strong competitive edge so when I can't compete with others I compete with myself.

I would have loved to join a gym and go everyday but all these places are far too expensive. The local leisure centre is a no go area as far as the gym's concerned - it's the hang-out for the dodgy guys and gals of gang-land. I did venture into the place a few weeks back after a friend persuaded me to play squash. I've never played before but swayed by the promise of a completely enclosed court so no one could see me I went. I enjoyed it, I was also in danger of blacking out after 15 minutes it was so fast and hot. In my borrowed trainers and bright red top that matched my face I must have looked a right sight. I enjoyed the game though and hope to go and play again although since the centre has had a recent face-lift, prices have trebled so unfortunately can't make it a regular event.

What did capture my attention though was the fact that this leisure centre is technically supposed to be open for everyone but obviously had something against larger people. There are turnstiles through to the changing rooms and sports areas and these are absolutely tiny! I got through okay but I was very aware that if anyone with a serious weight problem wanted to come down and use the facilities they'd have absolutely
no chance. Hell, even a body builder type would be hard pushed to get through those stiles. It was humorous in an ironic way but I also felt annoyance too. Why are larger people being kept out of the centre? But I digress...

So out was a gym, I don't like swimming in a pool as it damages my hair too much not to mention body conscious issues. Running though free is out because I couldn't bare the thought of anyone seeing me, a local belly dancing class out for the same reason. Undeterred I started dancing around to music at home and running up and down the room. At first I was utterly knackered after a minute but gradually I build up to 15 minutes running with the aid of a cool trance/dance album. Goddess knows what my neighbours underneath me thought! I did start to notice a difference, not just in how long I could run for but also how I felt within myself. Exercise is brilliant for anxiety problems and soon I began to notice that I'd feel better if I did exercise and worse if I didn't. If my nerves are bad I shake, sometimes visibly, sometimes on the inside. Sometimes it's just that my head won't shut-up! Exercise is fantastic for all of this!

After some time though I began to feel a little bored with the routine and also aware that I wasn't really exercising all my body. I wanted to tone my limbs as well as get my heart moving. The next step was to borrow an exercise video from a friend and therein dawned the light! Of Course! Why hadn't I thought of exercise video's before? Cheap, widely available, a huge range and utterly private, here was a whole exercise area I had at my fingertips (depending of course if you can bend that far *grin*).

Carrying my new found exercise class home with me I vaguely remembered I'd borrowed a yoga video from someone else about 6 years previously! Some dusty ferreting later, I decided to make an immediate start. I'm afraid I've lost the cover so can't tell
you who the video is buy (It's called Yoga for Health I think) but suffice is to say that the general demeanour suggests early 80's. I'm afraid that after half an hour I was incredibly frustrated and almost completely unable to do any of the so called 'gentle' postures. The instructors also had that slightly disturbing air of calm that reminds one of the eye of a hurricane. It reminded me most of when I used to go to a yoga class where everyone in the room could bend themselves round a lamppost and I struggled with the most menial of positions. Not to mention the fact that of course I could never try the headstands due to above phobia. Don't get me wrong, I think yoga is utterly fascinating and ultimately a wonderful way of calming and strengthening mind and body but whether it's any good for unfits like me is another matter. Perhaps in this case yoga is really one of those exercises that should only be done in a class with experienced teachers at absolute beginners level.

Next I moved onto the other video. The Y Plan Countdown. 'A great new shape in 36 days' is blazoned on the cover. Now I'm not one for believing all these fad claims and promises of the perfect body in next to no time so that didn't really interest me. It's presented by Jill Gaskill who has cheery airs of those instructors on ITV morning shows and a very scary Anthea Turner who's fixed unsmiling grin could make blood turn to stone. Each workout is only 12 minutes long which initially sees ridiculously short but by level three it'll be the longest 12 minutes of your life. What interested me was that the video has 4 levels and works on each muscle group of the body. I was delighted to find that the first level was comprehensive and easy to follow and that I could complete the workout without too much exertion. I didn't do the 12 days of that one as I figured if it was too easy then it wasn't really a challenge. Level two certa
inly moves up a gear. I followed the plan exactly as stated, gradually moving up to level three. By the time I was doing level 3, I already began to notice a change in my body and what it was capable of. By day 36 I could see that my shape was more defined and I felt stronger and more balanced. Again I have to say that doing the same video over and over is a tad repetitive.

No matter - plenty more to choose from and the idea I have is to build up an array of them so that I can choose the style of workout I want and the aim. I have just invested in a Kathy Smith video (Body Basics) that I found on Ebay.

Kathy Smith is apparently a fitness guru who's success was at it's height in the 80's. With her tighter than tight leotard, leg-warmers and Farrah hair this one is not for the faint hearted on any level. 80's 'dance' music provides a backdrop the agonising hour long workout but boy do you feel good afterwards. I am deeply suspicious of the claim in the blurb that this is one for beginners. I'm certainly not fit by any standards but I do have at least some movement. I struggled to do most of it when I first started. I think if someone had a serious weight problem or other health problems they would find this routine almost impossible. Although Kathy does do an introduction and points out a few do's and don'ts there's some movements where I've wondered if I'm in the right position. In the Y plan alternative positions are suggested if you have difficulty - nothing of the sort here. In the end some of it comes down to guesswork and trying to feel if the right or wrong muscles are being used. I think now I've got used to all apart from one lot of the leg exercises where I just can't seem to feel 'the burn' in the right place. Not of course that any of us should be going for the burn these days. If it burns stop! Initially the whole pace of the workout seemed fast and furious with one move flo
wing into another so quickly I thought I'd never be able to follow it. After doing it a few times though I'm already finding it much easier to follow. It coves the following - warm-up, 2 levels of aerobics and workouts on arms, stomach, legs and buttocks. Afterwards is a nice cool down session. Many of the exercises seem to be based on dance moves and there's also a hint of Callanetics, the in craze of the time that features small movements with big results. Seems easy to put your arms out at shoulder height and lift and lift a couple of inches but after about 50 of them your arms feel like they are about to drop off.

Body Basics is also one of those that assumes we all have living rooms that span to the fitness studio with lots of dancy type aerobics that has you falling over furniture. I have to shift everything out of the way to start with and have had to compromise on some skipping across the room because there's a danger I'll smash into the wall!

Criticisms aside I do enjoy this one. The 12 minutes of the Y-Plan have faded into obscurity now. The cool down uses some moves from yoga so I do get the benefit of those that twist the spine and relax the body without the hair raising fear of paralysis.

After two weeks again I am noticing improvements in my movement, strength and general shape. I don't own a pair of scales and of course muscle weighs more than fat - something that people who start exercise and diet at the same time forget and then feel despondent about. However all my clothes are loser and my hand eye coordination (coordination in general in fact) has improved as well.

Another video I've just got is the 3 minute a day face-lift with the peachy skinned Jilly Johnson. Apart from the fact I feel like I have been dumped with the pages of Women's Weekly the exercises are quite simple and keep the muscles of the face in good form. I noticed with a giggle that for the silliest of expression
s Jilly uses a model rather than demonstrating them herself. How the model does them without laughing I don't know. I get the giggles everytime I do them but if you follow the whole routine you do get that comfortable workout ache that makes you feel reasonably virtuous.

There are a myriad of video's out there for all different levels, interests and abilities. I'm going to look into getting a tai chi one as I used to go to a class and loved it. May be I'll try this Pilates that everyone's been going on about. I'm looking forward to discovering both the good and bad. Exercise video's are regularly sold on Ebay for a few pounds each and therefore it doesn't have to be expensive. Behind closed curtains I am gradually changing my shape, my weight, my self-image and confidence for the better. Of course someday when I'm ready I may come out and surprise everyone by taking part in some from of exercise infront of others - remind them that infact I'm actually a sporty one hidden in a slightly hippyish guise. I have a little thought that maybe one day I might go on a run or even climb a mountain but I guess I might have to knock the last few fags I smoke on the head for that one. My greatest aim of course is to get back to horse-riding, something that I was pretty good at when I was younger. Oh for the love of horses!

If you want to exercise but either don't have enough money or are too self-conscious, invest in some exercise video's It may surprise you to find that you actually enjoy them!

I've found the following site helpful for choosing videos. Of course there are reviews on Amazon too which will give you an idea of what other's thought.
http://www.exercisevideosreviews.com/list.html

Exercise is not just about acquiring the body beautiful, it's also about reconnecting mind body and spirit, trusting the movements you make and coordination. Exercise, keeps your heart healthy
and mind clear and gives you poise and grace as you re-establish contact with your physical self. Study after study has shown that only those who exercise in conjunction with a healthy diet maintain their weight after a major weight loss. Exercise like healthy eating is part of a life-change and not something you can just do once every 6 weeks.

As with all things, if you are very overweight, have health problems or haven't exercised for a long time speak with your doctor first before starting a new regime. I didn't but then that's just me. I don't want to be responsible for strained limbs and heart-attacks!

Summary: