A Tight Fit

If you'd have asked me a few years ago to take up exercise I would have told you I didn't have the time.  I'm out of the house at 8 in the morning and don't get home until 5:30 in the evening.  Then there's cooking and cleaning to do, maybe some washing and ironing and in the drier months there's the garden to look after.  On top of that I like a hobby or two twenty!  I scrapbook, card make, sew, crochet, knit, paint, bake, journal, quilt, cross stitch.......the list goes on.

How could I possibly find time to fit in some exercise?  Ask me if I wanted to go out for a drink and that's a horse of a different colour! :)  Things changed when my thoughts on exercise changed and I suddenly realised I did have the time.  Finding exercise that I loved made it go from feeling like a chore to being something fun, finding friends to exercise made it feel like a social event.

When I was younger I was a swimmer, a proper, competitive swimmer, a gala every weekend swimmer!  I dusted off my swimming hat and took the plunge :)  Every Monday, no matter how cold it is, I go for a swim and I swim at least a mile.  I sometimes meet my friend Lorna there and we have a chat while we pound up and down the pool.  When I finish, without fail, I always feel great.  There have been times when I've had a cluster headache but after a few lengths in the pool it's gone.  It's also a great exercise if you suffer with painful joints as it's zero impact.

Every Tuesday I go to Zumba.  I bung a couple of potatoes in the oven as I walk out of the door so I know dinner will be ready when I get home. The session I go to is run by Yvonne and she makes everything fun.  There are all ages and all shapes and sizes in the group but they are all, without exception, a great bunch of ladies who are turning in to friends.

On a Wednesday I go walking with my friend Jo.  We cover about 5 or 6 miles in an hour but we are so busy talking that it sometimes feels like we've only been out for about 10 minutes.  Even though we go to Zumba together we always have plenty to talk about because Zumba doesn't leave enough breath in the lungs to talk too much :)

Monday to Friday from 12 until 1, without fail, I can be found walking around the park.  I walk at least a couple of miles and feel so refreshed once I get back to the office.  When I'm walking alone I listen to a book and because I only listen to books when I'm walking, never indoors, then getting to a juicy bit of the story makes me walk even more!

I get a minimum of 10,000 steps in per day, no matter what the weather and I feel so much better for doing it :)

I still manage to do all of my hobbies, the house is still tidy and Maddie is still fed.  If I can fit exercise in to my day then anyone can, it's all about finding exercise you enjoy, exercise that doesn't feel like a chore.

The exercise I do, along with Slimming World, has meant that I am 7 stone lighter and feeling FANTASTIC!  If you look hard enough then it is possible to make a bit of time.

Thanks for stopping by
Jo xx