Tonias story Post the 2011 earthquakes, I was always tired, regularly visiting a chiropractor for chronic back pain, had high cholesterol, and couldnt jog between two lamp posts. My favourite pick-me-up for pain and fatigue was food - generally I ate healthy stuff - wholefoods, but just too much for someone who did very little exercise. In 2012, I woke-up to the thought that if I didnt change things, I would end up with heart disease like others in my family history. Its now October 2014, and today I did my first 21km hill terrain trail run up in Christchurch Port Hills. From that time in 2011, Im 20kg lighter, gone from a size 18 to a 12, sleep well, and can hardly remember the back pain that used to plague me every day. What helped me? Firstly making the conscious choice to be as healthy as I can be. This takes constant effort. Its easy to go back to bad habits! I make choices daily based on what supports me to be healthier vs what doesnt. Makes life pretty simple really! Im a big fan of Tangos bootcamp....I first went in October 2012, and hated it! I was so embarrassed about how slow I was...I felt like I was constantly holding the rest of the group up. I was uncomfortable - too cold, too hot, sweaty, sandy, doing exercises like piggy backs and wheelbarrows seemed an impossiblity. I couldnt co-ordinate my limbs to skip with a skipping rope, couldnt step high enough to do step ups, I couldnt even bend over properly to reach the ground to do a bear crawl. I have never played sport - except for when I had the awful experience at 14 years old, of making up the numbers in a very good country area netball team. I was told to dodge if the ball came by me - so as you can imagine - I have crap ball skills! As good as Tango is...he cant actually make up for all my deficiencies!! I am still slow as I crawl over the port hills - however I can now do SOOOOO much more than I ever could before. The weight loss is obviously a bonus, but the really gain for me is losing all that back pain, and being able to join in to so many more activities than I ever could before. Working out in the beach environment is another mega bonus..I could never get sick of hearing the sea, or watching the sunrise. Tango can be pretty quiet, so sometimes you wonder what hes thinking....but I reckon hes constantly doing all the thinking for us...because one of the great things about bootcamp is you can just switch off and do what you are told! Time goes by quickly when the group is there working out beside you...and somehow I dont feel like such an idiot when a friend or neighbour walks by when Im rolling around in the sand with a bunch of others! Even though I feel Ive come a fair way from that person who couldnt run half a block....I continue to enjoy Tangos bootcamp and the challenges it offers me...so I look forward to the support Tango gives me in reaching each of my mini goals on the road to becoming a fit 80 year old - like the 70 year old man I ran the half marathon with today!
Posted on: Sun, 19 Oct 2014 08:29:09 +0000
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