Working out the truth

I have often heard stories about unfit people, like myself, who hated exercise and then got hooked on working-out and now love it.

It’s commonly believed that if you exercise then you will enjoy it in time. So how long does it take to form a new routine? Statistics show that it generally takes between 21 and 28 days to form a new habit.

To test out this theory I joined a 30-day fitness programme with Al Muneera Fitness (AMF), led by professional personal trainers Billy Graham, Brendan Mooney and Patrick Hegarty.

Day one

I signed up for the 6am session because I was unable to attend the evening class. I was worried about sleeping in – I usually get up at 8.15am, so I set three alarm clocks for 5.30am and hoped for the best.

I made the 6am class! The session involved a combination of exercises including press-ups, push-ups, step-ups, sit-ups, skipping and running up steps.

I felt exhausted midway through and hated my first session. The only good thing was the trainers were really encouraging and I felt comfortable going at my own pace.

Day eight

The AMF trainers don’t tell us in advance what a class involves, which keep things interesting; you never know what to expect! The routine involved repeating exercises on a circuit; walking while carrying kettle bells, burpee squats, crawling on the grass backwards like a crab, and throwing a medicine ball and catching it. Every now and then our trainer Graham said that this was fantastic for fat burning and that motivated me to keep going.

Day 11

This morning’s workout involved a lot of running and skipping. To my surprise I could actually keep up with the others. Maybe running is not so bad.

Day 13

Another tough one today involving a circuit of lunges, running, pushups, squat jumps, burpee squat jumps and crawling on the grass. I can’t say I enjoyed it but I’m proud of myself that I didn’t finish last, also I’m getting fitter and thinner – in only two weeks, that really is fast results. Imagine if I did this for two months…

Day 24

The last few days I woke up around 5.25am before my alarm went off. I have gone from dragging myself out of bed after 8am to waking up early naturally in a matter of weeks. Amazing!

This morning’s workout involved a variety of press-ups, throwing kettle bells on the sand and doing timed sprints. I actually enjoyed it.

Day 30

Yay, I did it – 30 days!

Today’s session was intense. I was exhausted by the end, that’s obviously a huge advantage of doing a workout led by trained professionals as there is no way anybody would push themselves that hard.

The verdict:

Do I enjoy exercise now? Well, I can’t say that I love doing press-ups, squats and lunges. But I do love the results of exercise; I am stronger, fitter and thinner after only 30 days. I lost 2.5 kilos without making any significant dietary changes, and that motivated me to keep going. Day 30 came and went and I was still attending the class.

I am really surprised by how easy it was to form a new routine; a month ago getting up at 5.30am was an awful thought but now it has become a habit.

Thanks to trainers Billy Graham, Brendan Mooney and Patrick Hegarty, who really are fantastic at what they do. They are all extremely knowledgeable when it comes to fat burning and muscle building, and effortlessly train and motivate groups of varying abilities using humour and encouragement.

For information call: 050 215 9863 or email: [email protected]

The people say…

Felicity Azzouni

“The first session was quite difficult, I definitely found myself enjoying it more and more as time went on. It is my social time, and I love it now!”

Dee Partha

“Most certainly I think if you do something for a while you like it, it grew on me. We do a different exercise every morning so there’s a lot of variety.”

Craig Hughson

“I enjoy the session ten minutes after when I’ve had a shower! Actually I love the way the trainers use the geography of the area. No matter how fit you are it’s always tough so you can push yourself.”

Catriona Doherty