A Matter of Choice

Another one of my 'Talking on Eggshells' posts, which if you missed it was the 'other' blog I briefly started and then decided to ditch.  So as not to lose the few posts I'd published I decided to move them over to here - hence the 'New Years' post in February.     I've always loved New Year, the very start of them at least. Many a New Years Day has been hungover to varying degrees, but once we recover from that I love the new beginning.  I love a new calendar,  writing in the birthdays and any plans that have been made for the year.      As much as I love Christmas I like to get the decorations away, have a good clean and feel like we are back to 'normal'.  I'm not one for making a long list of resolutions, but I do tend to have some in mind at least each year.  I never plan to start them immediately though,  I think that's a recipe for complete failure, for me at least.  It doesn't seem to be mentioned much these da...

A couple of years ago I saw a friend on facebook had started following a yoga program on YouTube by Yoga With Adriene . Back in 2008 I used to go to Pilates classes weekly which I enjoyed and continued going to until I was about 7 months pregnant, I'd never managed to find any Pilates videos I liked online and as  I surmised that Yoga would be pretty similar so thought I'd give it a go too. I like a program to follow, exact instructions if you like, I think it's why I've got on so well with Slimming World over the years so I was full of optimism as I started 30 Days of Yoga. I can't remember how many days I did,  maybe 3? I wanted to get fit and I had probably at least a couple of stone I wanted to lose and when I sat on the mat closing my eyes and holding my hands together over my heart I couldn't help but think 'I haven't got time for this s**t)   Meditation has never held any interest for me, my mind would wander too much and I'd be impatie...

Just over two weeks ago I started the 30 Day Shred, I was a little nervous as I'd heard lots about it and it sounded very hard, but I was also excited as I'd also heard of the results people had achieved doing it.  The first day was hard, harder than any workout DVD I've done before and I regularly used to do the Ministry Of Sound workouts, although I always took the easy option on them and probably never pushed myself as hard as I could have done.  I made the decision when I started the Shred to push as hard as I could after seeing a quote online related to it 'Unless you puke, faint or die, Keep Going' And I did, I could hardly breathe during Day 1, Day 2 was the same with the added muscle aches gained on Day 1 but by Day 5 it was a lot easier, note I said 'easier' not easy! ! I had been worried as I always have been whilst exercising about my knees which I've had problems with or years but as the days progressed they actually felt better than ...

Today I dug out my great collection of fitness DVDs, they've been gathering dust for quite a while now due to pregnancy, the heat and general laziness!  But believe it or not most of them have been very well used in their time.  Before I amassed this collection exercise was not a word in my vocabulary, growing up I hated sport (unless it was an excuse to go out drinking) When I started Slimming World back in 2006 I was pleased to hear you didn't HAVE to exercise but it didn't take me long to realise that it would make a huge difference to my weight loss and that I would actually start to get fit for probably the first time in my life! My first purchase was the Ministry of Sound Pump it Up DVD, I loved the music and thought it would be fun - but I nearly died when I tried to do it, It was impossible, I couldn't breathe and couldn't get anywhere close to what they were doing on screen. I dismissed it as gimmicky and thought them just an...

Several weeks ago I completed a f itness assessment with MG Health and Fitness , I enjoyed finding out that apparently I'm fitter than I think I am, and survived the run up the hill, I was advised on the areas I need to focus on and how best to move forward not just for short term solutions but to work towards a long term fitness goal. A few days later I was back for another class and I was all committed to my new plan, then the following day I picked up Leo awkwardly and put my back out - you may have seen me moaning about it on twitter / facebook! Although Claire from MG helped me out  it meant I had to miss classes, I could hardly stand up let alone get to the studio! It doesn't take much to get me out of an exercise routine, so I really had to force myself back there this week but I know that if I don't get stronger / fitter then the problems will continue.  As Claire is out the country Mike was taking the Legs Bums & Tums cl...

I've never been a fan of sports or going to the gym, from my school days until only recent years I would go out of my way to avoid doing even the smallest amount of exercise,  I was the big kid in the class, the one always picked last in games and I used to dread every PE lesson. This stayed with me as I grew up and would miss out on lots of things with my friends, on summer Sundays we'd all go to the park and while they played rounders or volleyball I'd sit in the sun making jokes about how that was too much like hard work and I was busy getting a tan or drinking a beer but really I didn't have the confidence to join in and was worried they'd laugh as I got too out of breath running around. Only as I lost weight did I discover that I could actually exercise and not die.... although MY GOD did it kill me at the time I was stunned to see how much easier it all became as the pounds dropped off and I got stronger. For about  year I regularly did exercise DVDs at home ...

Since moving to Cyprus I have done much less exercise than I imagined I would, I am the master of excuses and it turns out having a demanding toddler can be quite a good one, that and 50 deg plus summer temperatures kind of puts you off!   But I do enjoy exercise when I do it regularly and I've been missing my old routine I had back in England before Leo was born, I just find it hard to get motivated on my own. So I'm very pleased to see that help is at hand! Sunday saw the launch of a brand new health and fitness Centre in the East of Cyprus, MG Health & Fitness situated in Protaras, MG is run by Claire and Michael and today is the official opening. Offering a huge range of classes,including Yoga / pilates based activites, Zumba, Bootcamp and Box Fit, with more in the pipeline it means there are plenty to choose from. All ages are catered for and I am very pleased to see a great range of classes for all ages of kids, something that is very lacking in th...