Sunday, November 12, 2006
Fitness Equals Madness?
A few of my friends (yes- I do have some!!) think I'm crazy for undertaking the level of working out that I do and I think they worry a bit that I am overdoing it. Yes, I do do quite a lot, but it's not because I am obsessive over exercise or losing weight; I have an idea of the things I want to achieve in future, triathlons, maybe even an Ironman, treks across the world... which means that I have to have an above average level of fitness.
I never miss meals and also make sure I eat more on days I'm working out. But also... I enjoy exercise. I enjoy how it makes me feel after a work out. I enjoy the feeling of being fit, of feeling healthy, of feeling that I can handle life. I enjoy looking at myself in the mirror and seeing the changes from two years ago, so I reckon I shall just carry right on and enjoy it. I know that they mean well, so will continue to reassure them (or just keep quiet about it!)
Yes I know that the thought of walking 26 miles or more in one day is not everybodies cup of tea, but if folk just moved more, just made the time to take 30 minutes of exercise three times per week they would really see some benefits. It's a scary thought that in the UK alone, two thirds of men and over half of women are overweight or obese. I reckon that it's out modern diet and sedentary lifestyles that are the main culprits. Years ago, work was hard and physical, now a lot of us sit behind a desk all day (me included!) Housework was also physical, and took all day. Nowadays with the advent of modern day machinery, it's an awful lot easier.
So I beleive that we all have to take responsibility to put the exercise back into our lifes, to make the commitment to taking the time to do this.
Like I said, for a lot of people the 30 minutes three times weekly would be enough and that's great. But I have this urge to push myself towards bigger and bigger challenges, to see the world and what it has to offer, to trek some of the far flung corners of the world... and I have the urge to do it all, right now, as you never know what's coming around the corner; I have friends who I went to school with who now have a disability.
Gosh, didn't mean for this to become so deep! On a more mundane note, I went to the gym, and did a good work out. I got up to my usual minute at 7.5 mph on the treadmill, and it seemed easy, so I cranked it up to 8 mph and it was ok! Yay I'm getting faster!! No knee pain, but a bit of pain from my right achilles tendon; this hurt quite badly last year until I got proper running shoes, but now I only get pain every so often. I perhaps always will, that injury will probably always be my, erm, Achilles Heel!
If I could just give one tip, it would be to go to a sports shop and ask their advice before buying a pair of running shoes. I ran for ages in a pair I bought off the shelf in a discount warehouse before going ot a sports shop and asking advice. By then, I was getting the Achilles pain and my left hip hurt every time I ran. I was advised that I am an 'over pronator' and need suitably supportive shoes or else my legs will kind of turn in and put stress on the rest of my joints. I bought the shoes they recommended and the pains disappeared over the next couple of weeks! Definately a worthwhile investment.
I was making proper coffee yesterday morning in my cafetierre- I love proper coffee when I can relax at weekends. I reckon I should have warmed up the glass first though cos I put the coffee and boiling water in, went to stir it and - yikes!! A piece of the glass just kind of exploded and coffee grounds and boiling water shot everywhere. That's something I can add to the Christmas list!
I never miss meals and also make sure I eat more on days I'm working out. But also... I enjoy exercise. I enjoy how it makes me feel after a work out. I enjoy the feeling of being fit, of feeling healthy, of feeling that I can handle life. I enjoy looking at myself in the mirror and seeing the changes from two years ago, so I reckon I shall just carry right on and enjoy it. I know that they mean well, so will continue to reassure them (or just keep quiet about it!)
Yes I know that the thought of walking 26 miles or more in one day is not everybodies cup of tea, but if folk just moved more, just made the time to take 30 minutes of exercise three times per week they would really see some benefits. It's a scary thought that in the UK alone, two thirds of men and over half of women are overweight or obese. I reckon that it's out modern diet and sedentary lifestyles that are the main culprits. Years ago, work was hard and physical, now a lot of us sit behind a desk all day (me included!) Housework was also physical, and took all day. Nowadays with the advent of modern day machinery, it's an awful lot easier.
So I beleive that we all have to take responsibility to put the exercise back into our lifes, to make the commitment to taking the time to do this.
Like I said, for a lot of people the 30 minutes three times weekly would be enough and that's great. But I have this urge to push myself towards bigger and bigger challenges, to see the world and what it has to offer, to trek some of the far flung corners of the world... and I have the urge to do it all, right now, as you never know what's coming around the corner; I have friends who I went to school with who now have a disability.
Gosh, didn't mean for this to become so deep! On a more mundane note, I went to the gym, and did a good work out. I got up to my usual minute at 7.5 mph on the treadmill, and it seemed easy, so I cranked it up to 8 mph and it was ok! Yay I'm getting faster!! No knee pain, but a bit of pain from my right achilles tendon; this hurt quite badly last year until I got proper running shoes, but now I only get pain every so often. I perhaps always will, that injury will probably always be my, erm, Achilles Heel!
If I could just give one tip, it would be to go to a sports shop and ask their advice before buying a pair of running shoes. I ran for ages in a pair I bought off the shelf in a discount warehouse before going ot a sports shop and asking advice. By then, I was getting the Achilles pain and my left hip hurt every time I ran. I was advised that I am an 'over pronator' and need suitably supportive shoes or else my legs will kind of turn in and put stress on the rest of my joints. I bought the shoes they recommended and the pains disappeared over the next couple of weeks! Definately a worthwhile investment.
I was making proper coffee yesterday morning in my cafetierre- I love proper coffee when I can relax at weekends. I reckon I should have warmed up the glass first though cos I put the coffee and boiling water in, went to stir it and - yikes!! A piece of the glass just kind of exploded and coffee grounds and boiling water shot everywhere. That's something I can add to the Christmas list!
