So while this is not exactly about sleep, as a sleep consultant I always recommend incorporating some form of regular exercise into our lives. But what if you’re not a natural exerciser and even the thought of pounding on a treadmill leaves you breathless? Why not try out an exercise class which I, as a total amateur did?
And here are my thoughts…
I’ve managed to get myself to the ‘Pump Conditioning Bums, Tums, Legs,’ or whatever-it’s- called class in Studio 1 at the right time, wearing a vaguely passable sporty top and leggings. Not quite lycra but we all need to start somewhere. Everyone in the room is busy collecting equipment from the little room at the back and laying it out. I follow the crowd, trying to look like I know exactly what equipment I need. I start by trying to unhook an exercise mat from the high stand. I reach up and desperately fiddle with the hook device. It’s not happening and there’s a queue of ‘exercisers’ behind me waiting patiently. I fumble for a bit longer and then somehow I manage to unhook a mat with a flourish and a warm smile to the crowd behind me. I’m well on my way now. But I’m not out of the woods yet. I still need a long roller, 2 blocks, and a squashy ball. And my lack of confidence in this world mixed with total indecisiveness kicks in. Do I need to the long thicker roll or the shorter thin one? Should the blocks be the same size? Should I choose the least squashiest ball? I grab whatever and try to balance the lot, while walking casually across the room, head held high to a little space at the very back. I drop everything to the floor with a clatter while everyone in the vicinity turns around to give me a sympathetic, yet knowing smile. I know they know I’ve never done this before but I’m determined to keep up the sporty, cool façade. Flashes of Bridget Jones spring to mind…
So music volume gets louder and a lovely smiley instructor at the front starts moving while issuing some instructions that sound vaguely like English but I can’t be sure. After a few gentle arm and leg moves, I’m beginning to relax and feel more confident in my exercise abilities and the fact that I might actually be able to do this. I look smugly at my co-exercisees thinking that I’m near to being the fittest person in the room when I come to the stark realisation that these gentle moves were in fact the warm up, before leading into the real thing. Without going into too much detail, let’s just say that the real thing turned out to be a mix of trying to follow what appears to be a new language involving words such as plank, burpees, glute, and many more I couldn’t even repeat; trying to follow an initial set of simple instructions, ending with one leg constantly facing the wrong direction and three moves behind everyone else. Clearly not managing to follow these instructions, I would lift my head to look around at what everyone else was doing. How is it that each time I was flailing around trying to manoeuvre into position, my eyes met Ms Scary Instructor Lady who gave me a weak smile and said ‘head down, chin on chest’. How can I do that when I’m trying to work out what contortionate move I’m supposed to be doing??
So I get through it as best I can, trying not to watch the big hand on the clock on the wall painstakingly inch it’s way towards the finish time. I’m thinking how amazing I’ll feel afterwards. And lo and behold, we’re done, packing up and there’s a feeling of elation in the room. Mine probably somewhat different to most of the others but elation all the same.
So let’s bring this back to what brought me here in the first place. Exercise is not a luxury, it’s an essential for our health, well being and sleep. We know that regular exercise promotes better quality and quantity of sleep. If however an exercise class like this one isn’t for you, find something that is – walk, swim, cycle. Remember, something is better than nothing!
