GOING TO THE GYM TWICE A WEEK

Hello all, 18 months ago I was in so much pain from all sorts of illnesses and life long bi-polar that I went to my GP after hearing from a friend. He told me that he had done the same with his partner and was feeling benefits of the exercise.

I approached my local gym with my referral letter and had an hour interview with a specialist gym instructor who went through a long questionnaire with me. He drew up a plan of what I should do over a period of 2 weeks, then inducted me through the gym apparatus. I was then let loose on the poor old /new equipment.

I decided to get a couple of friends to come with me at different times. They also went to the GP and got a gym letter. The GP was over the moon. He said that he was happy to sign the form for more people and said that it would make his job much easier.

I started off slowly and developed my exercise plan. I increased the repetitions first from 5 sets to 6 sets within a few weeks. (Repetitions) are the amount of movements on the machine that I am working on. (Sets) are the amount of Repetitions I have to complete. So I do 5 push ups and do this 5 times resting for a short period in between.  

I then increased the frequency that I went to the gym and this meant that I had a workout buddy each time he/she/me went. After 6 months of Doctors referrals I decided that I would get a full membership and that gave me access to all the council run gyms in my county.

I have now been going to the gym for 18 months and have not lost much weight. I have gained muscle which is heavier than fat. I am developing sets of muscle that I had forgotten that I had. My waist measurement is down4 inches and I have had to get some more trousers to fit. My other ones kept sliding down at embarrassing times.

I am a type 2 diabetic and when I first went to the gym my HbA1C was 56 and at the last diabetic bloods review it had reduced to 45. A drop of 11 points and I felt great. In fact the Cardiovascular exercise and the strength exercises changed my mood and when I had finished a session I was a different person.

1. Never rush exercises, you might end up hating them.

2. Start off with exercises you enjoy doing.

3. Remember you must stick with it and not give up. 

4. Treat it as a complimentary medicine, because the exercises will produce endorphins that change the brain chemistry. 

5. Walk each morning and night even in wet conditions. There are clothes that keep you dry.

Lastly DRINK plenty of WATER whilst exercising and after to keep you well hydrated. On a normal day, aim for at least  2.5 litres per day minimum; unless you have kidney problems or are on dialysis. Don't forget to check in with your GP and give them an update and to get your blood pressure taken.      

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