I thought exercise was meant to make you feel younger

[major_clanger]

I'm clearly not quite as lardy and shapeless as I fear; I was first into the gym room for the Core Toning class this lunchtime, and the young woman who was second asked if I was taking the class!

Mind you, I might be a bit less achy now if I had, as I'd have perhaps taken it a little more gently. 'Core Toning', it sounds so innocuous, doesn't it? I mean, how hard can it be when it involves an exercise mat, two small dumbbells and no actual running around? Well, I've been doing it every Monday for three weeks now, alongside a lot of other gym work, and it still leaves me limp and knackered after 45 minutes. Indeed, the weights workout I did afterwards was positively relaxing by comparison. It didn't help in terms of making me feel my age that the backing track was mainly covers of assorted Stock/Aitken/Waterman tracks from when I was a student the first time round. In 1986.

Most evil exercise: The Plank. Imagine holding a press-up, but with your elbows on the ground under your shoulders. And hold. With your back nice and straight. Then do it with one foot above the other. Then swap feet. Then do the Side Plank (what it sounds like). Then swap to face the other side, going through the normal Plank in the process. And repeat. Are we having fun yet?

Comments

[sbisson.livejournal.com]

You do realise that that user icon makes you look like Dexter...

[major-clanger.livejournal.com]

Well, you've done nothing evil so you have nothing to worry about, do you?

[t--m--i.livejournal.com]

So is this a home-grown class or one of the BodyB0rk (TM) (copyright) set?

vicarage kept on saying we should ljfrnd you so I took notice. Mind, it took us a year to get round to it...

[major-clanger.livejournal.com]

It's run by Edinburgh University and seems to be a generic class (as opposed to the local LA Fitness down in Cambridge where then did indeed have BodyFoo).

[andrewducker]

The plank is, indeed, a bastard. Did it a few times at Pilates, and I'm sure I lost at least a couple of pounds in sweat alone.

[fjm.livejournal.com]

Try doing the plank with your elbows on one of those large blow up balls.

Then try doing it with two balls, an elbow on each.

You can add movement if you like [g].

[major-clanger.livejournal.com]

Oh, that sounds evil.

[mishalak.livejournal.com]

I just started working out myself. I don't feel particularly old yet, but I don't feel like I have a clue.