Friday with Heidi: (almost!) Why we’re feeling the love this weekend….

I am deliberately late this week.

I wanted to share with you how our Charity Aerobics event went last night.

Not just because we raised £189 for The British Heart Foundation, which is a brilliant total to start our fund raising for February’s charity, but also because it was a test for me to see whether I still had a love for exercise to music like I did many years ago.

I got into the world of workouts by becoming a Group Fitness Instructor very quickly after qualifying as a Personal Trainer. I realised that I much preferred group training and got quickly involved in BodyPump, BodyBalance, aqua, aerobics and BodyAttack.

For 9 1/2 years I earned my living by sweating for a living – and I loved it.

The last 6 months were less enjoyable. I was getting tired, frustrated with learning choreography and not looking forward to going to work like I had been.

I haven’t regretted giving it up. I couldn’t have achieved what we’ve done with FastTrack Fit Camp if I had still been at the level of teaching that many classes each week. However, just recently I’ve had the urge to see if I still have the knack and the desire to give it a go — and the Charity event was born.

I can safely say that I won’t be teaching BodyAttack again! I got through my tracks to teach last night – just! But it was a tough old challenge and I remembered very quickly why I gave that up!

But the learning the choreography, the moves, the way to teach, how to point and say ‘right’ with your left hand came flooding back in an instant and it felt like only last week that I lived in sweaty gear with salty hair and music tunes swimming around my head.

It made me realise that the brain is both an amazing and tricky thing.

If I can remember after 11 years of stopping teaching all the moves to 5 aerobics songs without much effort it’s not surprising that when we are changing our ways to a new healthier way of eating the slightest challenge to our new routine can throw us back off course and into old patterns.

Isn’t that what happens at Christmas? Birthdays? Leaving dos? Friday Cake Day? An argument? A celebration?

A jolt off course that makes us say “Oh sod it, I’ve blown it” and stop caring.

So how can we positively reinforce the new habits, the ones that serve us, that make us feel good?

By rewarding ourselves for a job well done. By building a new association with our new preferred behaviour that we want to reinforce. By doing new stuff that builds new connections in the brain. By feeling happy with what we have right now.

Here’s some ideas — we’re all different some will work for you, some won’t.

• A star chart. Not just for kids! If you are visual and need to see your results. Make a star chart. Tick stuff off, stick stars on do something that when you look at it you can see how well you’ve done.
• Keep a journal. One for all the good stuff. Write each day things that you are pleased or happy about.
• Finding non-food treats. Distraction by hobby such as reading, knitting, sewing, blogging, playing music, singing, learning something new…
• Volunteer. It is very satisfying to do something nice for someone else. Charity work is always well received, you can support a charity or organisation you really feel strongly about and make a big difference with a little effort.
• Have a non-health goal. Save money for a holiday, or pay chunks off your mortgage. Aim to read a book on a topic you want to know more about each week. Take a photo a day.

My reward last night was knowing that I did still have the knack if I wanted to pursue it again, that those who came had a great night and that we raised £189 for British Heart Foundation.

Our next Family Fit Camp for Charity will be on Sunday 28 February at 09:00 at Bearwood Recreation Ground, Winnersh. All welcome.

Here’s a glimpse of what happened last night!  (Video)