I joined a gym the other day. At the time of writing this, I’ve not actually been in said gym because I realised something terribly embarrassing. I have no clothes or trainers to wear to the gym. Like honestly. It’s not to say that I had a massive collection of suitable clothing in the first place, but of the t-shirts, gym leggings and sports bras that I do still own, not one of them come even close to fitting.
Thank goodness for the COVID rules meaning you have to come to this particular gym already kitted out. Otherwise it’s likely I wouldn’t have tried on the gym clothes beforehand and I’d have been going through the straining and exhaustion of trying to get a sports bra over my head with one arm already stuck at an awkward position with an audience other than my bemused three year old. That’s not to say the three year old wasn’t judging me in her own way. I caught her side eye and the comment about too many snacks.
So basically, I like many people, put on some extra weight over the lockdown period. Actually, over the first couple of months of lockdown before I stepped on on the scales and realised just why I was feeling so lethargic. Since then, I’ve fluctuated, losing a few pounds and putting it back on again. I know you want to know how much weight I put on in those short few months. So I’ll tell you. I managed to put on 40lbs from March to June. 40lbs that led to my knee giving way and my joints feeling achey all the time. 40lbs meaning that other than my most stretchy of stretchy clothes, nothing fitting any more and me having to make a quick beeline to Primark when it reopened so that I had a few jeans and tops to wear to work.
I’ve joined the gym because I need to get back to a point where I don’t ache. Yes, I can work out at home. I’ve got friends who’ve gotten into amazing shape over the past 6 months by doing home workouts but I don’t know if that’s going to be my jam. Though, I’m up for doing some of those too. The plan was to build out the garage into a home gym but that proved far too expensive for the time being. So for now, it’s early morning gym sessions and watching what I eat.
Advantages of joining a gym
- Uninterrupted time to focus on me, without children or other responsibilities
- A clear area with to exercise without LEGO to trip me up
- Cheaper than kitting out my garage in the short term
- Personal trainer session thrown in once per month as part of fees
- Chance to socialise during fitness classes
- All the weights and cardio equipment I could dream of
- Reason to leave the house every other day other than school run
First things first, I need to buy a couple of gym leggings and a new pair of trainers. Anyone recommend a particular brand of leggings that will stay put over my mum tum? Brownie points if they have a pocket for my phone!
