It’s been a few months since I shared a health and fitness update on here – and since then I’ve had a summer which was a mix of both really disciplined eating and exercising, and then much more relaxed periods on holiday and since I’ve been back.
I managed to get into fairly good shape before my trip through a mix of personal training sessions and gym visits coupled with really strict eating and avoiding of treats. Needless to say, by the time I got to Mexico I was ready to nose dive into a bucket of prosecco and all you can eat tacos. Since I’ve been back I’ve been much more balanced with my eating and fitness, and things have been so busy that I haven’t been going to the gym as much as I would like.
I’m a member of a gym near my work and pay about £15 for my membership, which means I can afford to pay for personal trainer appointments. This works out best for me as it gets me into the gym at least once a week and it also means I have a routine to stick to when I’m in the gym rather than floundering around wondering what exercise to do next. But it truly is a cheap and cheerful option (I have to wear flip flops in the shower as I don’t trust bare feet in the changing rooms!) and I’ve been longing for something a bit more upmarket – with a pool so that I can swim, and preferably a jacuzzi to relax in! I had a quick nose on Pay As U Gym and I can get a membership that gives access to a local spa near me as well as the pool down the road from my work (and over 1000 other gyms) for £54 a month. I think I’m definitely going to go for this, it would be so nice to be able to relax in the sauna or steam room after a hard day at work (was really surprised to see my local Macdonald spa hotel on there too; I think the membership for the spa alone is £50 a month so it’s definitely worth it.)
img credit: barrandwray.com
As well as wanting to get back into swimming I also really want to get back into running this month. For some reason I seem to be able to get back into a routine with running in the colder, darker months – there’s something I really like about getting up early and pounding the pavements when everyone else is still tucked up in bed! My plan is to go to the gym 2-3 times a week, and run at least once. That should really help me get rid of the holiday (and post-holiday – oops!) weight and keep my fitness levels up.
Along with my regular gym sessions I’ve also taken up playing football regularly. I’ve been playing five-aside on and off since about June but I enjoy it so much that I decided to try training with a local ladies football team. I went to training the week before last and last Sunday I played my first match for them which was so nerve-racking! I also played for my work team in another match on Wednesday and I’m feeling more confident the more I play. I’m really trying to get over this feeling of being ‘rubbish’ and worrying I’m going to let the team down as I know it will take time to get better.
If I can carry on going to training on Wednesdays and then playing on Sundays I feel like it will really help my fitness improve, as well as helping me learn to get better at football. I’m really enjoying having a new hobby to get stuck into. It makes such a difference doing something that’s active and that you enjoy – I don’t think of football as ‘fitness’ but just as something I do for fun.
Of course, with Autumn here now I also don’t want to overdo it – October will definitely have an equal dose of relaxing and getting cosy as well as the fitness and football. Fitting in 2-3 gym sessions, a run and some football is aspirational but I’m not going to be hard on myself if I decide to skip a morning run for an extra half an hour in bed now and then – sometimes your body needs it! What are your health and fitness plans for October?
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