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.

SO today having had phone calls to make first thing my fitness training will probably take a back seat, as I am already too hot just sitting at my desk, but as I am aching a little from yesterday, this is not too bad.

My advice if you dislike step as much as I do is to stay focused on what you are trying to achieve and not worry if you can’t do the complicated stuff. I stick with the most basic steps and don’t take on board the progressions. Whilst the class spins and twirls I stay at the start of the routine and wait for them to come back and re-join me. Ok so lots of people still love step, but I have been to too many classes where over half the attendees spend most of the time virtually standing still and frowning because they can’t work out what they are supposed to be doing next.

The whole point of any exercise class is to keep moving, SO never be afraid to do your own thing a little, as long as you feel you are getting something out of it. Amusingly this am after we had done most of the class, the instructor actually advised the women who were struggling with the steps to do what I had been doing all along … keeping it basic!

Last night was San Juan in Spain, the big mid summer festival, when everyone sets up BBQs and bonfires on the beach, and at 12am they all rush into the water. Consequently I was never going to get to my pilates class this am (if there even was one), as I was up til after 3am.

On days like this it is good to relax or to just scale down what you were intending to do. A walk is much better than nothing at all. I also have to remember this when it is too windy here to run; whilst it is tempting to do nothing, a speed walk along the beach against the wind is definitely a good alternative. For me my walk today was not so fast or against wind but was along the beach, was several miles and the last bit was uphill, and I got it done early at 2am!

I read an article recently that suggested the big boom in gym membership was over and people were starting to turn to other more fun sporty types of exercise. I like classes and sometimes working out in the gym, but would find it hard now to do it every day and I do like running outside and going out on my bike for a change. I have one girl friend here who used to play women’s rugby in the UK. She couldn’t get into the gym at all, being used to staying fit via competitive sport, and finally found tennis as her answer. My husband is also starting to do the same, trying to find tennis partners, and aiming to get a 5 a side football team going for the autumn.

So there are lots of ways to keep fit. Gyms aren’t for everyone. The important thing is to do something.

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!

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!

One thing I have always done with my runs is divide them in my mind into sections, so that I achieve mini goals on route. This is particularly good on longer runs as if the whole seems a little unsurmountable I can focus on each section at a time. I used to do one 45 min run in Florida, over 20 mins of which was one long section of road. This I divided up using markers like golf cart paths and picket fences. Worth a try? … it works for me!

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.

It’s hard work but fun, and the other benefit of being here is the view of the mountains and sunshine from the window of the exercise studio!

I started off on the bike for 20 mins, using a programme to break up the time. Unless I’m really tired, I find that once I have set a programme going on any aerobics machine, I always tend to finish, whereas if I go for manual it seems to be easier to quit.

I then headed for the studio as a class had just finished and did some gentle arm free weights, some pilates stomach, stretches and a few lunges, before finishing off with 10 mins on the cross-trainer to cool everything down. Felt good after, and this am I can feel that I have worked out, but nothing is hurting.

Overall a good start.

I was therefore really pleased that my new gym here in Spain runs pilates classes 2 mornings a week. Having trained the ‘body control pilates’ way, these Spanish classes are not to me ‘pure’ pilates, and there is less time spent ensuring everyone is using the right technique, but I actually prefer them as they are more ‘dynamic’ than those I was used to; we seem to get through a lot more exercises and overall work harder. However technique is vital with pilates so if anyone is new to it, unless their class is ‘body control’ or similar and there is lots of individual attention, I suggest a few personal sessions at the beginning to ensure you are getting the real benefit.

I would recommend pilates to anyone as a great compliment to aerobic exercise. It’s focus is on strengthening the core muscles and ensuring with each exercise that you are using the right muscle. I also feel better after the stretching involved, which as a natural fidget is something I’m not always great at doing myself, hence the benefit of occasional classes.

Now I’m looking to up my level of fitness over the summer, with a combination of running, pilates and some gym work. However I am going to be realistic about timescales and patient, an approach that I try and pass on to all my clients. Boot camp approaches may get quick results for the young, but for those of us who are a little older and wiser, being realistic about the amount of punishment our bodies can take is a good start to any training plan. I’m going for a slow build-up of all activities.

At the moment my run is a very civilised 20 minutes along the beach and only twice a week. I’m going to increase the number of runs first before the distance and get used to running before breakfast as, with the summer heat building, this is now the best time for me to get out. Today is not a great start in that respect as I woke up to to very windy weather , but I will try for this evening instead and I will be definitely be doing some pilates stretching and stomach exercises later.

Really good advice and suggestions

Give it a try – I challenge you!!!

Fitness fanatics have caused £125m worth of breakages around the home in the past five years, according to a study.

Research by Halifax Home Insurance identified a quarter of a million British ‘wrecksercisers’ – people who damage property and possessions while working out at home.

Their mishaps included dropping dumbbells on a brand new Xbox digital entertainment console and destroying carpets by allowing oil to leak from a rowing machine.

One pilates enthusiast slipped and fell through a glass coffee table – resulting in a trip to A&E and the price of a new table, according to the report.

The lounge is the most popular room for a work out, with half of all fitness fanatics risking damage to settee”

18 minutes of exercise required to burn off one cookie: “Oh, those holiday pitfalls: a martini and a handful of Chex mix at the office party, Grandma’s fruitcake, the plate of gingerbread cookies from your neighbor.”

(Via digg / Health.)

The Perfect Human

DEAN KARNAZES WAS SLOBBERING DRUNK. IT WAS HIS 30TH BIRTHDAY, and he’d started with beer and moved on to tequila shots at a bar near his home in San Francisco. Now, after midnight, an attractive young woman – not his wife – was hitting on him. This was not the life he’d imagined for himself. He was a corporate hack desperately running the rat race. The company had just bought him a new Lexus. He wanted to vomit. Karnazes resisted the urge and, instead, sli”

(Via .)

Spend your money on a personal trainer and some targeted classes, but stay well clear of those monthly membership payments!!

10 Things Your Fitness Club Won’t Tell You:

Telegraph | Health | Gym’ll fix it? Get out of here

Taking Steps To Fight Fat

The Diet Blog offers 10 ideas on how to get yourself into an exercise mindset. For example, mix up your routine to stave off boredom; add exercise to your calendar so it’s a planned event; and stop thinking ‘all or nothing’:

‘If I can’t do this workout properly, then there is no point in working out.’ I used to think like this. Now I think that even a 5 minute walk is better than 5 minutes on the couch. Even 10 minutes of light weights is better than nothing.