Once you're fit it's a struggle staying that way - but worth it, Christine O'Connor writes.
Oscar Wilde once said, ''To get back to my youth, I would do anything in the world, except exercise''.
If I had been around to hear him say that 125 years ago, I might have responded, ''Why, Oscar, such nonsense. Indeed, were your very own words not: 'Man makes his end for himself out of himself?'.''
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde died aged 46, quite possibly of exhaustion from having to state his full name one time too many.
If only you'd been a fit man!
Once you are fit, staying fit is another struggle.
My fitness regime was surrendered to other duties for a little more than three weeks. The thought of restarting my workouts was enough to bring on mild panic.
I knew I was procrastinating because I was dreaming up excuses on gym days, as in, suddenly remembering there was salad in the fridge that was past its best-by date and telling myself to hurry home before refrigerator chaos ensued, or when my trainer phones me to ask if I am coming to class and after hanging up I consider changing my phone number and, possibly, moving.
I was feeling tired, a little burnt out, and, annoyingly, my breathing was affected by hay fever. Just walking up the hill home had me checking to see if a cheeky cyclist had grabbed hold of a strap on my backpack for a free tow.
We all get burnt out from time to time but solutions are simple: take some time off or try something new. I have done a bit of both, and feel rested.
Walking back into my slot at Let's Go Fitness was a little nerve-racking. How much fitness would I have lost, I wondered?
After putting in hours of training I hoped that it would not have dropped off too much, but preparing for the worst, I climbed the stairs. It already felt harder than usual.
Luckily, the jibing from other class members regarding my absence took my mind off it. I picked my position in the class, feeling a huge sense of relief to be back in the swing of it again.
Despite my plea to the trainer to go easy on me, the class began at its usual pace, circuit training and running, and it was hard.
But the hardest part was overcoming that mental barrier.
Yes, I felt some drop-off in strength and fitness, but I will regain it, for doth not that alone a healthy, lingering future make?
