Fit for Nothing

On my way to rehearsal last night Mr Google (or I suppose that should really be MS Google as the app is blessed with a female voice) took me on a very different route to any of the many I am used to. Apart from just how many possible routes through South London there are, the main thing that struck me was just how many open green spaces I passed. I have spent my entire life so far living in South East London so can't really comment authoritatively on any other places, but I think we are truly blessed. I am now in my seventh decade and my seventh home when I moved into my current flat I didn't even think about how close it was to a park, every other place I had lived quite literally had a park just across the road, and a bigger one within easy walking distance. My major local park, and one of my "happy places" is Joseph Paxton's Masterpiece at the Crystal Palace ~ indeed this flat is the only place I have lived where I can't see the tower from at least one of my windows!

Back in 2014

At one time or another from all my previous abodes I would go for a run, it was an easy matter to just run round my local park for a varying number of times depending on my fitness level at the time and the size of the park. I no longer have a convenient park of any size and my knees are pretty much shot so trying to get a bit fitter by going for a run is no longer an option. I am a member of a local gym, and so far I have been the sort of member they like, I keep paying my subscription but rarely turn up and use the facilities, every time I start to get into the habit of regular work outs something seems to happen that prevents me, the latest being my wrist RSI, well it is now sufficiently better for me to start going again, and I have thoroughly enjoyed a couple of visits, this time I am determined to get a bit fitter. 

"The Stodge" 2024

Now I have stopped work, and it is many a year since I have tried to play rugby I don't have any activities that help with my natural levels of fitness, or indeed my weight. Over the last couple of years a good couple of stone (28 pounds) has gradually added itself, mostly around my tummy. It's not just that I am fed up with seeing this fat woman looking back at me from the mirror, it's not just that I'm fed up with so many of my favourite clothes no longer fitting, while both of these do matter to me the main one is that I know I am unfit, I get tired too quickly, I can't play long low notes for as long as I used to and I'm just finding more things I can no longer do as easily as I should. Realistically I have another twenty or so years so I want to enjoy them to the full, and at least in part that means getting fitter again, so I am determined to start getting better value for money from my gym membership!