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Keeping Fit (at my age ?)

I never really intended to begin going to the gym but I guess three good reasons crept up on me all at the same time.  Not that I hadn’t been exercising over the years especially since my two boys were born (the amount of Manual Handling involved in bringing up kids can be staggering –and as they get bigger it takes more energy)

When, finally, they became self-motivating they began playing sport and going to the school gym, lifting weights and declaring they could ‘bench-press’, ‘leg curl’ and run for miles, it made me think about my health in general.  Mind you I was only thinking about it, after all I had the lawn to mow and the continuing stream of DIY and unpacking shopping bags.  Tell you what though, if I spent a decent weekend laying an extension to the patio – I finished up feeling like I was made of wood and jointed with rusty bolts, surprising which muscles chose to cripple me in the few days that followed.

Then later we were on holiday in Cyprus and when messing about in the pool by the villa, a ‘kind’ relation took a photograph of me in profile next to the Li-Lo , oops, physical perception and stark reality clashed, I think the lumpy bumpy  Li-Lo felt in good company.

Fast-forward by about 6 years and I had been really busy studying for Professional Exams.  This was difficult as several iterations of my report had to be re-written  “to meet and demonstrate the required attributes necessary”  At the point of success I realised this had taken huge amounts of brain power,  I was in mental ribbons and this was my nemesis.

Now fully equipped with my (three) good reasons to have a go at getting fit, I decided the gym next door to TWH was the place to go.  That was 5 years ago.

Since I started I have gradually worked my routine upwards and I now swim ‘hard’ and I gym ‘hard’ two days each in the working week.  Bodily I have gone down a waist size and up a shirt collar size.

Here are a few of my truths:-

• I go to the gym in the early morning
• I often moan when getting up a 06:00 on those gym mornings
• Its nice seeing the regulars at the gym who have also had an early start
• I emerge from the gym  feeling more confident about the day ahead
• After each session I have a warm sumptuous shower (loving every drop)
• I noticed a difference in my physique after SIX months – others noticed in 12 months
• After 12months I was told I had lost 10lbs of fat – the lilo body had gone !
• Even after 5 years I am still increasing some of my weights on my exercises and getting faster in the pool
• There is no way either of my boys could manage my swimming rate or some of my gym weights
• My food choices have changed – often choosing fruit against a bacon roll (but if it is the bacon roll – it will make no difference on one  occasion)
• Finally my DIY efforts no longer result in any temporary disablement.

Ian Berry, Senior Civil Engineer, @one Alliance