I don't have good intentions, I've already let you know that. Still, this year (in January!) I decided to go to the gym again. Because it was high time. As a workaholic I always try to hide behind everything. Deadline here, appointment there, too cold, children, too wet, too hot. Everything… so as not to have to exercise. Because secretly I hate sports. But this time I'm throwing my apologies overboard. I started with a FIT30 workout and I think I can recommend it to everyone… I will list my epistles and failures related to sports for you. And read on if you want to know how things are going with FIT30.
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OK. Sosss. I'll be honest about it. So I hate sports. And not just a little bit. You may be wondering why, but actually I usually wonder why other people don't hate sports 😉 . And maybe you're just like me and you know exactly what I mean! How is it possible that I hate sports so much while someone else thinks it is fantastic to do? I procrastinate for days before going back to work, while 'the other person' grumbles that she hasn't had time to run for 3 days.
Just a few of the reasons why I hate sports:
And don't think I didn't try! I certainly did try. I will tell you which sports I have now put on my 'been there, done that' list.
I think fantastic. I've had 2 horses for years. Some will say 'oh well, horseback riding is not a sport', but I dare to fight that. I can't ride alone on a recreational level. I simply don't like it then. I want to be able to train and see that I am taking a step forward and working towards something. And that only works if you train very regularly. Preferably 5 times a week. And do you know how much time that takes?
Furthermore, it is also the case that I can no longer walk without a stool (hilarious for others, terribly clumsy for myself) and that I no longer dare. I've had a tough hernia and the horses I last rode (about a year ago) were pretty tough themselves. Jumping away for a ray of light and then so quickly that I was gathering dust so to speak 😉 . Anyway, in combination with the hernia I have decided not to take any more risks here.
For me, horseback riding is the only sport where I can really still my thoughts. Thinking of nothing but my horse and what needs to be done. I may hate sports, but this is one of the things that makes horse riding so great.
In itself a nice sport, but not quite you. First, I can't motivate myself to go out on the track in the winter and second, you have to take someone else into account. You can't decide to have a nice workout if the other person can't. And even worse… if you've agreed, then you have to… even if you're not hungry anymore. Blegh.
Until a year ago I was completely absorbed in the hype of today. To run. And yes, I really did enjoy it. When the weather was lovely with the sun on my ball and the birds chirping in the air. Then it's fun. The first kilometer. Or two.
And I swear to you, I've walked distances, in one go, of up to 13.5 kilometers. Of course after a thorough build-up period. Pretty nice I'd say? Until you end up with sore knees and a shin tendon injury. And then, after months of 'rehabilitation', look to build up again to find that the pain is coming back. Jackets.
Long ago, when I was a girl 😉 . As a woman, all that gymnastics doesn't go well for me anymore. I prefer to look at my own girl. Last summer I thought I would give a cartwheel to my moppie who likes to go to gymnastics. But what a shame that was! I was glad that there was no one else around and grumbled with red cheeks that I really managed to do that. Hear! Somewhere. Once. Long ago.
Read more: about the possibilities of getting fit without actually exercising.
I thought:'Nice!' A little me-time with Lotte, while she learns about yoga and listening to your own body. Not entirely unimportant, right? Unfortunately we arrived completely stressed because it was given at an impossible time (that is what you get with small children) so we had to rush with food like mad.
Anyway, my girl gave up and I understood her. Going to mother daughter yoga alone is so weird so I decided to stop. A real shame because Yoga is something I like. Exercise is healthy, everyone knows that. But much-needed relaxation is also healthy. And I find that in yoga myself. In addition, you often train different muscle groups than those you use in other types of sports. Stretching and stretching, for example, but by 'holding' positions, this does not always mean that it is a breeze. It is more about the balance between your body and your head. And there it is…. You can also read that in Rosa's blog about why Yoga is good for her 😉 .
By the way, there are many types of Yoga, did you know that? I came across this Yoga guide by chance where you can find a lot of information about the types of Yoga out there. Something for everyone!
And then I also exercised at home for a few months. Working out at home I think is a pretty good alternative, although you do have to be strong, especially if you hate sports! Earlier we also wrote about the benefits of exercising at home. Especially useful if, for example, you still have small children at home and you feel too worn out in the evening to go out.
Read also: the benefits of exercising at home at a glance
There are two disadvantages of exercising at home, one of which is very important. And if you hate sports, this is just the hardest; your motivation! You have to motivate yourself to work consistently, and that is not convenient for everyone.
The second disadvantage is for people who are prone to injury. I personally think that good guidance during sports can be very important. Not necessary for all sports of course, but if you start working out at home and you start working with weights, or for example with Insanity (also done for half a year), you do have to know what you are doing.
I may hate sports, but doing the housework doesn't make me happy at all. And even though doing the housework is good for your body (see article about getting fit without exercising) and your head (a tidy house means a tidy mind)… I can't really go for it.
Read also: a tidy house with these 10 tips
Still, I think I should do something. Secretly I notice that I am getting older and that -if you don't maintain your body- you still run into defects. Defects that may be preventable if you make your body a bit stronger. In addition, I have a sedentary profession, as you undoubtedly know 😉 . And if there's one thing that's bad for you… that's it. It promotes a hernia and given the pain and misery I have had from it, I think it is now time to make my body stronger.
I'll tell you why FIT30 is the solution for me. First of all, I will briefly discuss what FIT30 means to me.
You have all kinds of home challenges that call themselves FIT30, but the real FIT 30 is a circuit training where you work on a fitter body in 30 minutes. All muscle groups are covered in 30 minutes. FIT30 is always given under the guidance of a trainer who monitors whether you are doing the exercises correctly.
FIT30 is given in a room with all kinds of equipment to train all your muscle groups. You can visit us whenever you want (within opening hours of course) and take a seat on one of the free devices.
There is a timer that runs again and again for 1 minute. You train on the device for 45 seconds and you have 15 seconds for a small piece of rest and moving on to the next device. In reality there is not much to rest in the meantime 😉 . You pick up your towel, grab the next device, take a deep breath and HOPPA… on again!
There are 15 machines (some of which change regularly) so that means that you have tackled 15 muscle groups in 15 minutes. And then you do the same round again.
The joke is that the devices used at FIT30 work on air pressure. So you don't set any weights for the heaviness or the force you have to deliver. The air pressure automatically regulates how hard the exercise is for you. This has 2 advantages.
I've had my first FIT30 sessions and I feel 'trained'. Not 'trained', that's something else 😉 . But I clearly feel that I have trained and feel a kind of fatigue in my muscles, even after 30 minutes. Tired but satisfied.
Now you will think… that will get better after a few weeks, but then I can increase the speed if I want, so that I can train at a heavier level. I have to say that I am very positive about this form of circuit training, so I secretly hope that I can improve my hatred of sports a bit this way.
In the beginning the training feels good (you have that with every sport, you are still fresh and not tired), then it becomes heavier but it is still doable to motivate yourself. But now it comes… with every other sport I start to get fed up after about 30 minutes. I constantly check the clock and the minutes pass painfully slowly. I am getting crankier and can no longer concentrate on sports, but my head is already focused on my work. That is not the case with FIT 30. By the time my head really starts to work against me, I'm just done!
It's circuit training for ladies here in the village. However, there is no time for chatter and I am personally happy about that. Everyone trains intensively because you are being pushed from minute to minute and you only have a very limited time for your exercise.
The coffee and chocolate I take at home afterwards… it really tastes a lot better when I have exercised 😉 .
Fit 30 is in the center of our house in the glass farm, so I get on my bike and I'm back up and running within an hour, which is also a godsend. Do you live in the area? Feel free to check out the Personal Flow website. In addition to FIT30, you can also follow pilates, all kinds of yoga (Yeah) and, for example, Zumba.
Image used via Shutterstock
