Last one month has been very painful for me. Two months back, I sprained my back and had to discontinue my exercise routine (however inadequate and irregular it was, at least it was there!). Finally, last week, I got the clean chit from my doctor that I could now continue and it will be best if I join a gym to shed the extra kilos that are in no way helping my back.
So I decided that it was high time I took some time out from my busy schedule (getting up late, going to office, coming back and vegetating in from of TV/reading a book, phew!...its VERY tiring, I tell you!) to at least back to the much manageable body-shape I used to have. Now guess what was my first step once this ground-breaking (ahem! ahem!) decision was made? Did you say looking out for a gym with proper facilities? Contacting a nutritionist? Talking to hitherto invisible, so-called fitness freaks? No silly! I went shopping! After all, a girl’s gotta look good when she sweats and huffs and puffs, right? The shoes have to be Adidas, the tees cannot be anything other than Reebok, and bottoms better be Nike. So thus armed, I went in search of a proper gym. My brother suggested the one he goes to, but then the cosmos finally accepted that I was really serious this time – a gym opened in the same premises as my office and today, two weeks and 9000/- later, I am the proud member of this fitness asylum for six months. Do I hear applause, ladies? Well, thank you!
But along with all this, something else happened. Till now I was being told fro people all around the world about all the severe diets I need to undertake and the torturous exercises I must incorporate in my routine, and I WAS trying to do it all. I have exercise routines pasted on my mirror, I do a vision exercise to see me this everyday and I have all sorts of recipes stuck on my kitchen wall. But all this was not helping. I had even dropped out of my last gym after one month, that too after taking a personal trainer, because I just could not get up and go there! So what changed now? This time, when I went shopping I did not take myself so seriously. So I have a few extra kilos, big deal! If it was not for me, this entire billions-of-dollar worth fitness industry will be non-existent! So I made some not-so-smart choices and gained weight, now I am going to loose it. Simple! No explanations and depression needed!
As I started out with good humour, the salesmen and women became extremely helpful and non-judgemental. The gym people said all I need to do is follow some basic guidelines and stick to working out 5 times a week, one hour a day. Nothing special was needed. No personal trainers, no working out 3 hours, and eating sensibly and giving into some treats so that you don’t binge. Now this seems something that I can handle. For the first time in years, I am looking forward to working out. So you see when feel you now have to be on the fitness bandwagon, you can also choose to climb its steps, if you are not that good at jumping.
