Exercise: you don’t have time not to. – Quote Unknown

April 5, 2015

I have discovered that living in Thailand is good for my health. I live a very simple life. Going to work, seeing friends, and exercising almost daily. I feel so much healthier living here.

My friends think I am an exercise freak and I will happily admit that I am. I love exercising. Don’t get me wrong I still have to psyche myself up to do it but once I get going I am so happy that I made the effort. After all it’s only a small part out of my day and it makes me feel so much better.

I have been into exercise, on and off, since 2006. I started going to the gym and made friends with the gym instructor, who is one of my best friends today. He was doing spinning classes so I went along and started doing that for the next two years. He also started kick boxing lessons so I went along to those too. I loved kick boxing and it inspired me to go to Thailand and learn Muay Thai boxing for two months.

When I first moved to Thailand I naturally lost weight because I wasn’t eating bread, crisps and such like but I soon put that weight back on when I got a social life and started drinking regularly. And after two years at home in the UK, merrily drinking my way through four bottles of red wine a week I was heavier that I had been for a while.

A friend told me about Insanity- an intense cardio workout- so I began the 60 day schedule.

Insanity-Workout-Program — Source: http://www.vtmfcn.org/shaun-t-insanity-workout-dvd-review-and-results.html

That was last April. At first I wasn’t seeing results-and I need to see results instantly otherwise I get disheartened- but I realised that it wasn’t going to happen overnight. After the 60 days was finished I started running and swimming again as well as Insanity.

Running is my first love but I was determined to finish the 60 day Insanity schedule and because Insanity is tough going I couldn’t do both. So running was put on hold. When I first started Insanity I couldn’t even get through the warm-up without stopping-dripping in sweat and out of breath. Afterwards I was able to do Insanity followed by a 5 km run. It was amazing how much I had improved. And by then I was seeing results so this really spurred me on to continue with my regime.

109282440_insanity_313040cmain — Source: http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/05/insanity-the-rise-of-the-supercharged-home-workout/275907/

After a move to Bangkok and finding myself living in an apartment building with a gym, swimming pool and jogging track- of course I was going to make the most of that. It has become part of my daily routine and now I run, swim, bike, use weights, and do a combination of Insanity workouts. I find that if I mix things up I never get bored.

conquer — Source: http://www.tazfitness.com/?page_id=628

After nearly a year of this freakish exercising behaviour I have lost nearly two stone and feel so much healthier. I have cut down on drinking and eat a lot more fruit and vegetables than I ever did before.

Tips:
# Rather than doing the same exercise every day which can become monotonous- mix it up and do a variety of workouts.
# Don’t do treadmill runs the entire time- find a local park and run round there. It’s much more interesting.
# Buy loads of vegetables from the supermarket and make a curry with curry paste and coconut milk. I find I don’t miss the meat because it is still very filling and delicious.
# Stop smoking at work. Do you really need those 2 or 3 ciggies during the break times?
# Don’t drink at home unless you have friends round. Or save it for when you are out and about. I love my wine but if you are serious about losing weight don’t drink all the time- it really does pile on the pounds.
# Most importantly, find an exercise routine that works for YOU and stick to it. I think you will be amazed at what a little willpower and determination can do.

It would be great to hear your success stories!