Get in shape
Fitness advice from author Tracy Griffen
Not everyone likes exercise. This was something I discovered upon moving to Edinburgh from Australia, many years ago.
At the age of 20 whilst studying Psychology at the University of Adelaide, I had a stroke that was to change the course of the rest of my life.
Within a few years, I had departed the bright sun of the antipodes to relocate to a dreich but welcoming city that I now proudly call home. I was very wonky and spent my early twenties relearning how to move my body, tie my shoelaces, write with a pen and walk in a straight line. Having been a keen runner and cyclist, I was incredibly frustrated that I had lost mobility. I fell over a lot.
I became fascinated by human movement, and additionally why we move. I noticed that generally Scottish people seemed uninterested in exercising and I saw a potential business idea.
More study followed and by 2005 Griffen Fitness was launched. Initially the business was me cycling to clients’ homes around Edinburgh, getting them fit with minimal equipment ( or what I could fit in a bicycle pannier bag).
My approach was unique for the time, as it was when gyms were booming. I wanted to teach clients how to move their bodies, not just rely on machines.
I noticed that when people exercised outdoors in a green space they reported improved mental health as well as a smaller waistline. As someone who has experienced anxiety and depression, I knew that this was important.
Things got so busy that by 2010 I opened up a private fitness studio downstairs from my flat on Balfour
Street, just off Leith Walk.
All the fitness we do in the studio can easily be done from home, or outdoors. Healthy Living Yearbook was my first book, published in 2011, a seasonal book of easy healthy recipes and realistic exercise ideas based on an allotment diary.
What we do ( and eat) in winter is very different to what we enjoy in summer, and my first book reflected the idea of living with the seasons.
It took a global pandemic and the Griffen Fitness studio being shutdown for six months to finally write the book I’ve been wanting to write for over 15 years.
It is my personal mission to let everyone know that YOU have the ability to be fit, without it being too awful. I really love it when I see clients benefit from exercising, both physically, but even more importantly, mentally, as they get a boost in clarity and positivity.
Especially when I hear from old clients who tell me that they’re still doing their exercising... And some of my clients are in their 80s, so it really is fitness for every body.
Here are some tips on how to get into an exercise routine:
Plan when you are going to do your workout. If you don’t schedule it in your diary it is unlikely to happen.
For the above reason, you need to make it as easy as possible for yourself to exercise.
Hate running? Don’t do it, walk instead. Choose something you like to do, and plan it for a time of day when you naturally have the energy.
Put exercise on your list of things to do, so you can cross it off when it is done. Make it as important as a work priority ( on the same ‘ to do’ list) as getting active will help your work productivity.
Ladies, ensure you have a snug fitting sports bra. It will make physical exertion more comfortable, and improve your running form.
Get a balance of aerobic, strength and flexibility exercises. The variety will add interest and make you fitter overall. Try something new.
Allocate a space in your home for exercise, even if it’s a tiny bit of the lounge where you can roll out an exercise mat. Put together a playlist of upbeat tunes ( or dig out an old favourite CD). Wear your activewear, not just for watching Netflix.
Over winter, try to get outdoors for at least half an hour of daylight. Many office workers currently working from home are getting in the good habit of putting their online diary into ‘ do not disturb’ for an hour at lunch.
All those emails will still be there when you get back ( and probably a dozen more), but you will have had a good break and got some fresh air. This is excellent for problem solving and avoiding a mid- afternoon slump.
Check the weather forecast in advance. I like to schedule my weekly fitness bike rides on days when it’s not blowing a gale.
Have a wet- weather contingency plan. Strength and stretching workouts can be done from a nice warm lounge/ home office.
Little and often is my mantra. Start small and easy and build up as your fitness level improves.
You can fit in exercise incidentally to your everyday life. If you walk up steps two at a time, stand up to work ( for at least some of the day), and generally try to move around more.
You will burn more calories and boost your metabolism. Squats when making a cuppa, perhaps.
Missed a week? Don’t worry and beat yourself up, you’re human.
The best thing to do is to note what went awry, and plan when you are going to do your next exercise session.
If you’re getting back into fitness, remember to be patient – it takes a while to get unfit, and so too, it takes a while for the body to get back in shape.
Allocate a space in your home for exercise, even if it’s a tiny bit of the lounge where you can roll out an exercise mat
Enjoy the process and it will become part of your life.
Get Fit and Enjoy It: Learn Effective Exercise from Home does exactly what it says in the title.
My new book takes you step- bystep through what I’d do with a new Personal Training client over a block of five sessions.
It’s designed to be easy to read, with 64 illustrated exercises with clear instructions, and exercise options for those with various ailments.
The exercises are chosen to be both safe and effective – Get Fit and Enjoy It was written in the first lockdown, for a winter of staying at home.
Order your copy for £ 7.99 ( including free UK P& P) online at www. getfitandenjoyit. com. In real life, you can pop by indie retailers: Hanover Healthfoods, 40 Hanover Street or Elvis Shakespeare, 347 Leith Walk. It’s also available on Amazon and an expanding selection of independent online retailers. A perfect gift for that ‘ reluctant’ exerciser in your life. What are you waiting for? Get fit and enjoy it!