Festive Farewells

Well I’ve done it again. And yet again it hurts like hell. Every year like most of us I go a little bit mad at Christmas and get reacquainted with my TV and yeah, simply kick back and eat and drink too much. And every year I promise myself I will train, stay with my Pilates practice, go for my runs and keep active. But Christmas is hectic, crazy, fun but exhausting and there is no time. “Oh well, I’ve had a good rest!” I cry, “It must be good for my body!” I protest – but then the pain starts. Back to work in the new year: double Body Pump and Pilates, the day after Pump (again) and BootyBarre. By Wednesday the DOMS is so crippling and my quads hurt so much I genuinely can’t get down the stairs without wincing. “It’s ok”, I think, “this morning is Body Balance (and yet more Pump but we are ignoring that) - I’ll have a good stretch”. Wednesday evening brings its own set of challenges as I stiffen up so much getting down onto the floor to teach a Pilates Matwork class is nigh on impossible. My class laugh. I try to but it just hurts too God. Damn. Much.

So why? Why do I do this to myself? I really don’t know. I’ve been teaching fitness for over 15 years and every year I do exactly the same thing. You’d think I’d learn. But do I actually need to? Is this pattern of behaviour simply a case of deep, uncontrollable human nature? I believe inside we all have the “enforced lazy gene”, we are all in need once in a while of a period of enforced recuperation. The human body was designed to be lazy – how else would it have survived periods of forced starvation way back in our hunter gatherer days? Surely it’s a natural thing? Sometimes we don’t listen and it manifests itself as illness or injury and we have to stop. Surely scheduling it in at a time to suit us is better? Even the most hardened fitness fanatic needs a rest from everything – and I mean everything? The problem comes when we allow that lazy gene to take over longer term and let’s be honest if it didn’t people like me would be out of a job! But that’s a whole other topic for another post. I also actually quite enjoy the crippling DOMS we suffer after a period of rest. It proves to me that my body is a movement machine. That it is designed to be used. That I am designed to put some effort in! Yes I’ve undoubtedly “lost” some fitness in those two weeks but I know I will “find” it again and undoubtedly enjoy that more than if I had continued to train over the festive period.

What I’ve also now just remembered is that the pain doesn’t last long – two weeks back into teaching and training I’m feeling fresh, full of energy and ’m enjoying “feeling” again. My body and mind feel rejuvenated and ready for 2019 - which surely is what holidays are all about? So I’m not going to feel guilty. I am not going to feel pressurised by all these “new year new you” posts – I am just going accept where I am now and look forward to the year ahead. And perhaps, just perhaps next year I won’t buy a drum tub of Quality Street and eat them all by Christmas Eve, drink mineral water for two weeks and train every day of the holiday season….ummm not going to happen! Now where did I put that foam roller…?