Gym Mummy

I never thought I would say this but I'm really enjoying going to the gym at the moment. I have never been a gym bunny... well, there was that brief spell in 1990 when I worked at Presidents Health Club and lived in lycra. Thankfully, it didn't last long. I do love our gym though. We have our fair share of posers but overall there's a real mix of people of all ages, shapes and sizes. This morning I watched a woman walking on the treadmill who was at least 80 years old and wearing a kneelength full skirt with the latest Nikes. We have lots of older people, especially women, who do yoga and Pilates. Lots of mums like me who are there for a bit of exercise and to get away from the kids for a couple of hours. And lots of families there to swim and eat in the cafe.

The cafe is great. Not a power bar or glucose drink in sight. They have a few healthy options like fruit salad and yoghurts and some lovely salads on the menu, but they also have a Costa franchise and make huge great frothy cappucinos. They do a full English breakfast with bacon, sausage, eggs, the works. And they sell gorgeous chocolate cake and caramel slices too. Well, what is the point of exercising if you can't then eat a cream cake every once in a while.

I don't go to the gym to socialise. It's my Me time. My routine is to get there as early as possible and do my half hour on the treadmill then stretch and do some pilates. Afterwards I take a long shower uninterrupted by shouts of "She hit me! Give that back!" and "Moooooomeeeee!!". Then I have breakfast, either two poached eggs with toast and jam or a big bowl of oatmeal, with a cappucino of course and I sit and read the papers or a good book while I eat. No one interrupts me. No one asks for a bite of my food or shouts that my eggs look yucky. I might even check my email too and by the time I go home I feel refreshed and relaxed.