Sands Personal Training

My fitness push is already under threat for at least 2 reasons. It is suddenly SO hot here, AND as a consequence of the fact that most Spaniards (women anyway) aren’t that interested in going to the gym in July, most of the classes seems to have stopped for the month.

I’m not giving up but am definitely going to have to get up earlier and get my fitness stuff done before the sun hits full strength. Evenings are an option, but it depends how hot I have been during the day as to whether I can take any more. I’ve also always believed that if it is important to you to get something done, it’s a good idea to make sure you get it done first.

Interesting class at the gym this am as our usual instructor was mysteriously absent. I think most people find it a little off-putting when they pitch up expecting a particular workout and end up having to do something slightly different. It was still a tonificacion class, but each instructor’s interpretation of toning is unique. I wasn’t hugely impressed when she asked us to put out steps, as I have never liked choreographed classes and step happens to be one of my pet hates! However at this gym they mainly use the step to add a little more resistance and the moves tend to stay pretty basic. Today however a few more complicated steps did appear, not a lot but just enough to wind me up!

A good friend of mine in the UK, who was into alternative therapies and therefore slightly more in tune with the spiritual side of things, always used to say that in life it is very important to listen to your body. Sometimes I know that with exercise my body IS actually just feeling lazy, but at all times when you REALLY don’t feel like that workout it is important to listen, and at all times being realistic helps.

I guess we are lucky here in Spain, having such great weather most of the year, as from a fitness point of view it gives us so many more options. We can run in sunshine, ride a bike, play ball on the beach, swim in the sea and pools etc.

Sunday always feels to me a day for relaxing and chilling out, and on the basis that it is always good to have at least one day a week off from even the most rigorous exercise programme, I usually make Sunday mine. Today however as I didn’t get around to doing my stomach exercises yesterday, I will be catching up and some stretching is a good thing on any day.

Of course the one day off a week tip, only applies for people who like to train most days. 3 work-outs spaced evenly throughout the week usually works well for most people, with a little walking or other activity as well, AND remember to KEEP STRETCHING!

This morning I decided it was time I got back into my running shoes. Yesterday I managed to make the excuse to myself that any time after 8.30am was too hot in Spain in July, but today I managed to be more motivated, and headed out around 10am, fueled by a banana and with a coffee and breakfast to look forward to when I got back.

It is hot here now but as I am still building up and only aiming to do 20-25 mins, it was fine. There was even a gentle breeze and running in heat is definitely better than my memories of running on snow in the UK. Now that IS motivated!

Having commented in a previous post about the pilates classes at my gym here in Spain being more ´dynamic´than the slightly more ‘pure’ ones in the UK, I have to say the same of the tonificacion classes as well.

I haven’t been to a gym regularly in the UK for several years now but I remember doing a 20 min aerobics session, followed by some usually stationery arm weights and then mat work. Here we seem to do everything on the move. Nothing is high impact, but the aerobics element stays up as arm and leg toning is mainly done on the move, often involving a step for extra effort.