So week two of the exercise challenge. I started the week off with very good intentions-I played 40 minutes of Squash and walked, rather than drove into town to get groceries. It might not sound like much to those who do exercise in one form or another everyday. For me, it was an accomplishment and I felt good about myself.
My good intentions took a dive for the rest of the week but this was due to circumstances beyond my control-I got sick. So Tuesday and Wednesday were lost. Thursday was our weekly exercise class in the HKE department and this week we did strength training. We were made to do sit-up and push-ups that had a twist to them meaning that we ended up doing 40 instead of 10 push-ups. We also did lunges and it is for this reason that walking up a flight of stairs has now become next to impossible. It takes me twice the time to climb the same amount of stairs and all the way the legs in my muscles feel as if they are on fire. Again, the true extent of my 'unconditionedness' has been shown up.
Someone asked me how long I think it will be until I stop feeling pain after these weekly exercise sessions. All I could say was 'hopefully soon." I was also suppose to go to gym on Friday but the thought of forcing my aching body onto a tread-mill made me feel a little nauseous. In fact, I think my legs may have refused to move and I would have created quite a scene if I had fallen backwards off the treadmill and landed in a crumpled heap on the floor. Perhaps its better that I didn't go-at least this way I don't have to avoid going to gym out of embarrasment.
But on the up side I have found a five week running programme the I want to try. The programme can be found on the Shape Magazine website: http://www.shapemag.co.za/learn-to-run-5km-2/. Hopefully I can start the programme tonight. Five weeks is not a long time to go from not being able to run 500 meters to running 5kms.
The thing about this 20 week challenge (and this is really what it is for me) is that exercise is now constantly on my mind. I now feel guilty when I haven't done any form of exercise in a day (even if it's just walking onto campus and home again). Lets hope that my guilt starts to overtake my laziness very soon-otherwise I am not going to get anywhere with this.
Another 18 weeks to go.
Saturday 26 March 2011
Starting at rock bottom
So last week Thursday was the beginning of my travels into the world of exercise and fitness. (Hold on a minute, we are not suppose to say fitness, but rather talk about conditioning.) So to correct that last statement, I began my 'conditioning' last week. Mmmm, not sure how I feel about the concept of conditioning-sounds a bit odd if you ask me. Along our Honours class went to the HKE (Human Kinetics and Ergonomics) department for our base-line fitness tests.
When the idea of a 20 week fitness programme was first proposed I was quite excited and relatively undaunted. As the date for our fitness tests drew ever closer I began to re-think my enthusiasm because I just knew that I was going to have the worst results in the class. This may sound like my over-dramatising of the fitness situation-I can assure you, in this case, its not. During a seminar given by the HKE department two weeks previously we were asked how many of us were involved in a regular exercise routine-I was the only person to not put up my hand. In the spirit of full divulgence about my exercise habits-I have not done much in the way of exercise since I left school about three and a half years ago.
The test did not make me feel any better about myself. I was the worst at everything, and I kept the sheet where my 'unfitness' was recorded close to my chest. I know that it is not suppose to be a competition but rather about personal growth but when you are the only person going red in the face after five push-ups while everyone else is easily on push-up 50 it feels a bit like a competition. In retrospect, the worst part of the whole experience was yet to come.
Oh the agony of the next morning-not only did I struggle to pull myself out of bed but I could not lift my arms. I couldn't tie up my hair and I couldn't lift my bag. The full extent of my 'unconditionedness' was finally, painfully realised.
On the plus side-I only have 19 more weeks to go!
When the idea of a 20 week fitness programme was first proposed I was quite excited and relatively undaunted. As the date for our fitness tests drew ever closer I began to re-think my enthusiasm because I just knew that I was going to have the worst results in the class. This may sound like my over-dramatising of the fitness situation-I can assure you, in this case, its not. During a seminar given by the HKE department two weeks previously we were asked how many of us were involved in a regular exercise routine-I was the only person to not put up my hand. In the spirit of full divulgence about my exercise habits-I have not done much in the way of exercise since I left school about three and a half years ago.
The test did not make me feel any better about myself. I was the worst at everything, and I kept the sheet where my 'unfitness' was recorded close to my chest. I know that it is not suppose to be a competition but rather about personal growth but when you are the only person going red in the face after five push-ups while everyone else is easily on push-up 50 it feels a bit like a competition. In retrospect, the worst part of the whole experience was yet to come.
Oh the agony of the next morning-not only did I struggle to pull myself out of bed but I could not lift my arms. I couldn't tie up my hair and I couldn't lift my bag. The full extent of my 'unconditionedness' was finally, painfully realised.
On the plus side-I only have 19 more weeks to go!
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