Do you enjoy exercising? How much effort does it take you to actually do some form of fitness once you’ve put on the gear? And I’m not talking about taking  a walk to the coffee shop in your gym stuff to get a weird-but-healthy green latte. I’m talking about blood, sweat and a few tears.

It’s taken me a long time to want to do exercise and I now feel slightly perturbed if I haven’t done at least two things in a week. I’ve changed.

NOW IS THE TIME

At school, I was super sporty: I played hockey, football, basketball and badminton, I went to dance and karate classes, and I also went snowboarding, which I still love. I think as soon as sport became a choice rather than part of my daily curriculum, it fell down the pecking order.

Over the years, I’ve tried every fad, app and class going – I have signed up for sessions with various personal trainers and so-called body gurus. But it’s taken a long time for me to actually find my ‘thing’ – an exercise regime that fits in with my lifestyle – I have very
little time to myself – and that leaves me feeling good.

I was never a natural runner – I haven’t entered any running competitions, and I’m not about to start, but I do jog about 4-5k at my own pace two or three times in a good week. I also do a 50-minute hot yoga class called The Fix, which I try to get to every Thursday lunchtime – I love and hate it in equal measure.

It’s genuinely still an effort not to put something else in the diary at the time of the class. But as soon as the initial balancing poses are over, there’s a point at which I can enjoy it. Namaste.

MENTAL BOOST

Recently, I asked a friend who goes to the gym at 7am every morning what keeps her motivated. She said she finds it de-stressing and beneficial for her ever-fluctuating mental health, adding that exercise also made her more inclined to eat healthy food.  

Another friend, Gem, like me, also lately found her ‘thing’ and it’s changed her life. Cycling – not a spin class, but a real bike with those funny shoes that lock your feet to the pedals. She’s just cycled over 100 miles… for a laugh.

Truth is, I’m happier than I’ve been in years, and while that’s down to a number of things, regular exercise has played a big part in this. I’m comfortable with myself and where I am in life, and maybe, just maybe, I’m allowing myself to celebrate that. Why not?

Share your thoughts with Edith Bowman @edibow and @BalanceLDN, and listen to her weekly free podcast ‘Soundtracking’ can be downloaded from Edith Bowman