Chocolate and Beyond

My heart is getting stronger!

I had my last personal fitness trial session last week and guess what? Fabulous results! David measured my blood pressure and checked my resting pulse rate (i.e. the rate at which your heart beats while not exercising) before the workout and both had come down, after only 5 training sessions!

While my resting pulse rate wasn't very high to begin with (generally, the lower it is, the fitter you are), it has come down to being within the 'fitness' range (bordering athletic, says David) as opposed to average. My blood pressure was also lower - even with the white coat effect! (Not that David had a white coat on).

Fitness on Friday

I had my penultimate session with David Brownley today - no boxing on this occasion and less time on the treadmill, but yet another good workout pour moi. The session included some weight-training in the bench and abdominals- I was feeling the ache in both afterwards, but not to the extent of my first session! It was probably 'just right'.

David told me about quite an amazing piece of research where there were two groups of subjects, one group was instructed to lay in bed and not think about exercise at all, whereas another group was told to think about exercising all the time. The group who were thinking about exercise had 18-20% more improved fitness than the control group!

My fighting spirit

Last Friday I had my third fitness session with David and it was definitely my favourite so far, even though it was also the hardest physically. The reason behind this was that we finished the session doing some boxing/pad work - and I loved it!

Talk about pent up aggression - David said he could see it in my face how much I was getting out of punching those pads! But I had had some stresses to go through that week (although I have to admit, they didn't affect me anywhere near as much as equivalent stressors used to).

I feel good (I knew that I would)

Yesterday I had my personal fitness session with David and I've woken up today not only feeling physically intact (phew), but I have to admit, feeling pretty good.

We had a good chat about why I was so out-of-action in the week. I'll make no bones about it, it basically comes down to me being about as fit as Bernard Manning, and although I'm making a huge assumption on Bernie's level of muscle-training, I'd take a fair bet that it isn't high. (Of course, David didn't say that to me - I'm letting my writer's prerogative for artistic license run wild. Imagine? David: "Do you know, you're about as fit as Bernard Manning?" Me: "Ah. I see your point.").

I hurt - a mighty lot

Now, I don't just ache, or have slightly sore muscles, but I have actually been physically incapacitated from my personal fitness session on Monday! My legs have barely been able to take me up and down stairs because the front of my thighs hurt that much. Seriously. I had all the grace of a hippo being seated at the opera trying to get into my car.

While it's a good sign that I've worked out, I kind of think maybe a bit too much? Or am I just incredibly unfit? I had to have my son fetch and carry for me last night because it was (and still is!) just so hard for me to get about - and the dog had to have a shorter walk on a flat and less arduous route with with no hills, since I'm kind of shuffling like an old lady.

My first personal fitness training session - I'm jelly

Oh. My. God.

It is approximately 3 and a half hours after I finished with David (or should I say, after he finished with me?) and I can barely sit on the loo, never mind get up and down my stairs. In fact, my legs nearly buckled as I went to my car after leaving the Cenacle Treatment Centre, where David is based.

I spent an hour working out to a point that I would never have pushed myself to had I been doing it alone - because the few times I've tried any muscle training, as soon as it gets past comfortable, I'm ready to 'go easy', (or to be honest, just stop). Of course, with David counting every repetition I did, unless I was honestly considering a 999 call, there was no wimping out.

Getting in shape might not be such a bad idea

Since meeting David yesterday I have started thinking about fitness again. I went for a swim this morning. Considering that the schools are off and I work for myself, getting up at 7am to make the 'early bird session' at my local pool (which is so packed lane rage is a frequent occurrence, and it is the least busy session of the day) was quite an achievement.

My decision was also partly influenced by reading Jomay's post on consistency, where she says that "Perhaps considering how you can incorporate some extra activity each day without worrying about what you will do tomorrow or next week" could be a way of achieving an overall goal of getting in shape.

I'm an exercise-rebel: who'll take me on?

If you ever need to find a gym-phobic then I'm the person to speak to. Most people sweat when they come out of the gym, I sweat at the consideration of going in. So I stay away.

Today, though, I had a visit from David Brownley of The Fitness Works for a health assessment. David is to become my personal trainer for the next couple of weeks while I do a personal fitness trial with him for five sessions.

Having met him today, I have to say I have absolute faith in his knowledge of training and fitness, but I don't trust his scales (they were WRONG, I tell thee!). I was stunned when I stepped on them, but I do have some water retention at the moment (possibly not 8lbs worth).