It’s probably about time that I write a post about one of my interests outside of design, so let’s talk about ‘the gym’ and what makes me tick!
I’m often asked why I go and I never manage to communicate the right words to really express why I do it. It’s hard work when I could spend the money on something more enjoyable like a massage… so why do I do it?
After a knee dislocation and continual, sometimes even crippling pain over the years (patella tracking issues apparently!), I started seeing a trainer for PT that my brother recommended. My initial thought was ‘that seems a bit pretentious like something celebrities do’ but I gave it a go and found that this was the start of something amazing.
I’ve never enjoyed exercise (since a PE teacher forced me to run til I threw up!) and whenever I’ve tried to include exercise in to my routine, it’s always been a chore and ultimately caused more pain. Even to this day, exercise is HARD and I don’t enjoy that feeling of muscle fatigue and a near death heart-attack from the dreaded air-bike. Does anyone? But what I do enjoy, are the results of having done the exercise; getting fitter, stronger, reduced joint pain, being able to eat carbs without guilt (yum!), the natural, europhic ‘high’ you get after a tough workout, teamwork, stress relief and accomplishment.
We began in PT with strength training to build up the muscles around the knee and I was set challenges. Even games! (I do like games). Each session was different, the format was different, we would laugh at the struggles and I felt incredibly comfortable in the environment. The most important part of this process has been to have fun and this is the ‘magic’ for consistency. Trainers need to be motivational and I’ve been so lucky to have found a team of trainers that live what they preach, set the bar high and have created a community where we can inspire and challenge each other in classes, enter competitons, go on outtings, play games and reward our efforts with cake and bubbly! We are engaged with the process and I actually feel sad if I miss a class. The workouts are gamified and I love to try my best and see if I can get a decent score on the leaderboard. Does it actually matter? No, but I keep trying as it keeps me engaged and it’s great to track how far I’ve come. When I started, I couldn’t walk down stairs without pain, I couldn’t lift the bar (20kg), do a single pressup or lunge without nearly wobbling over and it would take me a good minute to complete 8 calories on a cardio kit. Fast-forward and today, I can deadlift 102.5kg, do weighted pressups on my toes, weighted walking-lunges, complete 24 calories in 1 minute AND for the first time in my life, do unassited pullups! To many people, this means absolutely nothing and thats okay, but to me, this means everything as it shows just how far I have come with the right training and support. I will be forever grateful for being shown how to enjoy exercise and to work with knee pain. I encourage everyone to find that ‘magic’ and do the same.
