Fashionista in the GYM

Training and exercise has always interested me. Before the children came along I would spend six days per week in the gym. It was even my pre-children job. But then the children came along and the often used “me-time” quickly went from spending a couple of hours in the gym followed by a nice massage to going to the toilet on your own with your phone for a quick Facebook update, or on very special occasions even going to the supermarket on your own. Going to the gym wasn´t really on the cards. I am not saying there wasn´t the time per se, because I know you have to make the time, you have to prioritize it, but I am saying I wasn´t prioritizing me. I admit I felt slightly guilty at the sheer idea of prioritizing myself. Then, of course, the inevitable started to happen. I started to feel angry and sad and down. I started to really dislike who I saw in the mirror. Of course, my emotional demise assuredly coincided with both children going through yet another phase. I felt like I was losing my grip on everything.

I think I instinctively knew what I had to do, but it is also hard to carve out time for yourself when really, there isn´t any “spare” time as such. But I knew I had to or the whole family would suffer.

Said and done, I made the decision to get back to the gym. And I think you know what´s coming – it was an absolute life saver. The total lack of energy was gone, the boys have a stronger, fitter mum who, although I have not lost any weight or lost any dress sizes, feels better in her own skin than in a long time. So when I encourage women to get into the gym to lift weights it is not just because I want everyone to look like the women on the cover of Sports Illustrated (although that would be nice too) it is because of the repair it does us, mums, in so many ways.

Now I hear many of you – “Lifting weights!??!?! But hear me out.

I would say there are very few women I know who wouldn´t want to look really fit. Fit and strong but without looking like a beast.

A few things to consider my dear mamas: For a woman to look like a muscle beast it takes a lot, and I mean a LOT of weight training and protein munching. In fact, I would say that unless you have been gifted with a serious amount of inherent testosterone levels, it is nigh on impossible to look like a muscle beast. Having said that, I would prefer a muscle beast look to a couch potato look any day. But as I said, that amount of gym work is not happening any time very soon.

And before I start on the second big blow of the day, let me say this: I really like Zumba and aerobics and dance classes. In fact, I find them great fun. However, with two children, a husband, a horse and a home to look after I don´t tend to have the time for these classes. When I go to the gym I need effective training that is going to bring results, i.e. stronger, more toned muscles.

Those Zumba or aerobics classes on their own aren´t going to give you the buttocks of your dreams. Those classes are fun, sure, and I am not saying to ditch them all together, but you will be pretty disappointed if you start your three days a week aerobics fitness routine hoping for rock hard abs and glutes of steel.

What you need my dear mama, are weights. Free weights. All gyms have them. They are mostly “around the corner”, where all the men are. I know it is a bit intimidating, what with the big mirrors and big burly men sweating and grunting, but you know what? Most of those men are way too self occupied to notice you are even there in the first place. And if you need any help the rest would be only more than happy to show you how it´s done.

Still not convinced? There are so many reasons women need to lift weights. For one it messes with your low self-esteem and turns you into a badass lady confident in your own skin.

Mental demons fear the metal. You angry, frustrated, sad? Go lift some heavy metal off the ground. Far cheaper than any therapy (even retail therapy I dear say), and with instant positive results.

Mental health sorted. Your physical health needs weights too. Sure the treadmill will help you lose fat, but it will also make you lose muscle. Weight lifting, on the other hand, burns almost exclusively fat. And with fear of stating the obvious, the more muscle you have the higher your metabolism and the higher the metabolism, the more calories you burn by just living and breathing. Burning calories while sitting on your bum? Me like!

Not only will you strengthen your muscles, you will also strengthen your bones. Every time you “stress” a muscle it tugs on your bones too, thus strengthening it and making the bone denser. This in turn helps prevent osteoporosis. Another benefit of weight lifting one might not think of is that because muscles hold joints in position – stronger muscles will better hold your points in position, thus easing joint pain. Sure it may hurt initially while you are doing a deep squat but that will ease with time as your muscles get stronger.

But it´s so boring I hear you say. But I say you are wrong. There are so many ways in which you can do strength training. Firstly you don´t have to face those mirrors and burly men all on your own. Weight lifting can be done in a group, in pairs or on your own. It can be done as circuit training or as single sets or supersets or… You get the idea.

As with all types of exercise you need to find the type of strength training that appeals and works for you. I would say exercise works instantly to relieve a bad mood or stress, so if you want a great looking body AND mind now and continued mental and physical health for the future, you need to incorporate strength training into your exercise routine one way or another.

Right, I´m off to the gym!