Never look a gift horse in the mouth, they say.
And so, when an opportunity presented itself to me to get some of the exercise I’ve been so drastically needing for quite some time in a structured and measured way, I was hardly in a position to turn it down now, was I? No, the chance had to be seized, no matter how unlikely that chance might sound.
You see, I’ve joined a gym!
Diddly
You see, as the years slide on by so too does my waistline seemingly increase. No longer am I the slip of a lad who could party until 3am, eat a bucket of fried chicken, and do diddly-squat, all whilst maintaining a svelte, toned physique.
No, these days partying is a few drinks with the Mrs or the football, or at least while the World Cup Continues, the wife AND the football. Fried chicken is still yummy, though—despite certain high street chains sacrificing quality for variety, and diddly-squat is still very, very do-able even with the novelty of a fully functional wheelchair.
All of which underlines the need for a little more physical exertion in my life.
Weight For It
To be fair, this is not the first gym I’ve joined. No, back in the pre-Covid days I was a member of a local place, although I soon found my limitations meant that a good percentage of the machines on offer were unsuitable for me. After all, when one has trouble lifting an unencumbered leg, being asked to do so with the addition of weights is less than ideal.
Of course, there were quite a few machines that concentrated on the upper body but, as that is where my strength already lies, they felt somewhat redundant. Besides, I’ve never felt that the no-neck torso coupled with the legs of an understuffed rag doll is all that fetching. Even without the intervention of a global pandemic, I think I would have been looking for an escape clause in the contract. As it was, my ‘vulnerable’ classification made cancellation pretty painless.
So, what, you may ask, is the difference with this new place?
Going For Gold
Well, ActiveGold is aimed at people with limited physical capacity to gain regular exercise. Their range of power-assisted machines are designed to give anyone, regardless of strength or capacity, a good 40-minute workout. Something that is incredibly useful for a man like me.
My legs, as mentioned, are not strong, but for three minutes they will do the equivalent of butterfly kicks. My range of movement is limited when it comes to my hips, but a sit-up and a reverse sit-up are both possible thanks to the slow supported movement afforded.
It’s true that some of the machines are still a step too far for me. The seated bike, although supportive of the back, still ends up with my feet slipping off the pedals, and I’ve been advised to stay away from the machine which moves the torso in one direction and the lower body in the opposite one while lying face down.
But still…
Making A Mockery
With the addition of a working wheelchair and some more or less daily trundling along the streets of Mirfield added into the equation (my loose target is between 3 and 5 miles at least 5 times a week), I can see nothing but upside with this new addition to my weekly fitness regime.
Well, ActiveGold is aimed at people with limited physical capacity to gain regular exercise. Their range of power-assisted machines are designed to give anyone, regardless of strength or capacity, a good 40-minute workout. Something that is incredibly useful for a man like me.
My legs, as mentioned, are not strong, but for three minutes they will do the equivalent of butterfly kicks. My range of movement is limited when it comes to my hips, but a sit-up and a reverse sit-up are both possible thanks to the slow supported movement afforded.
It’s true that some of the machines are still a step too far for me. The seated bike, although supportive of the back, still ends up with my feet slipping off the pedals, and I’ve been advised to stay away from the machine which moves the torso in one direction and the lower body in the opposite one while lying face down.
But still…
Making A Mockery
With the addition of a working wheelchair and some more or less daily trundling along the streets of Mirfield added into the equation (my loose target is between 3 and 5 miles at least 5 times a week), I can see nothing but upside with this new addition to my weekly fitness regime.
Do I look faintly silly strapped into some of the equipment? Possibly. Am I pretty much guaranteed to be the youngest person at each class? Definitely. Does this leave me open to mockery? well yes, but to the mockers I say away and shi…ine up your shoes. The holiday and the promise of not being mistaken for an inflatable by the poolside? Well, that’s far more important.
Less than two months to go! Work it baby!
Until next time!
#
Hey, there! If you enjoyed reading any of the above, why not take a look at some of my published work? Below you’ll find links to a number of short stories I’m lucky enough to have included in anthologies. I’d love to know what you think. My debut novel, The Heart That Died, is available now as both paperback, E-book, and on Kindle Unlimited, so I’m adding the link to that, too.
Oh, and if you like what you look-see, a nice, positive review would also be most welcome.
The Heart That Died
New Tales Of Old
Death Ship
Pestilence: Drabbles 1
Reaperman: Drabbles 3
The Musketeers Vs Cthulhu
Eldritch Investigations
Less than two months to go! Work it baby!
Until next time!
#
Hey, there! If you enjoyed reading any of the above, why not take a look at some of my published work? Below you’ll find links to a number of short stories I’m lucky enough to have included in anthologies. I’d love to know what you think. My debut novel, The Heart That Died, is available now as both paperback, E-book, and on Kindle Unlimited, so I’m adding the link to that, too.
Oh, and if you like what you look-see, a nice, positive review would also be most welcome.
The Heart That Died
New Tales Of Old
Death Ship
Pestilence: Drabbles 1
Reaperman: Drabbles 3
The Musketeers Vs Cthulhu
Eldritch Investigations
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