A Fitness Journey

When I was a child, going out for a bike ride was the most fun way of exercising. It got you out with your friends. As a younger teenager, hiking was the most fun. I could leave my problems at school behind and just enjoy the countryside. As a 19 year old going for a run was the most fun. I could see progress very quickly and I really enjoyed getting up, getting my tracksuit on and challenging myself. By the time I joined the RAF I was in fantastic condition, fitness wise although I had no muscles 🤣🤣. When I was in my twenties, it was badminton which Janet and I played at Adult Education classes, back in the days when councils could afford those things and central government wasn’t trying to make our lives as narrow and miserable as possible. In my thirties I rediscovered cycling in Japan and loved being in a country that made it safe and enjoyable. I got back to the UK and that was the end of that! In my late forties I was at St George’s University and they had a gym that I used regularly for three years. Then the centre was closed down with hardly any warning and weights, rowing machines and treadmills disappeared from my life. Now, in my sixties I am using dumbbells and yoga to repair the effect of working in London and neglecting my fitness. It is having a significant impact already and as with my running all those years ago I do it in the morning and it’s a great start to the day. Actually, truth be told, it’s not as soon as I get out of bed but it’s definitely before I have breakfast!