Improving Fitness

Hi everyone!  Happy New Years, holidays and all that.  I hope that everyone enjoyed their holiday break, caught up with loved ones and didn't have too bad a hangover on New Years day!!

This is the time of year where everyone talks about the New Years resolutions that they made.  Dry January.  Quitting smoking.  Joining a gym.  Be a new, better, you (what even is that??).  For me, I don't do New Years resolutions.  There is nothing less of an incentive than creating one in my opinion and you just feel guilty when you inevitably break them.

Everything comes at its correct time and you will do things when you are meant to, when you are ready, not when some silly tradition tells you too.

What I tend to do is assess any goals that I want to achieve and put them into action in my own time.  For example, I want to quit smoking (again) but post Christmas is not the right time.  I need to be in the right mode and mind frame.  So I have ordered the book that worked for me last time (Allen Carr's How To Quit Smoking) and post birthday in March will be the time.

One thing that I have improved upon in the last year and want to continue with this year is upping my fitness levels.  This little teddy bear who we got last year has definately improved that.  Walking him up and down the hill where we live, going up and down the hallway playing with his toys over the past year has resulted in a 2 stone loss so far.

I want to continue this and expand my levels of fitness as I can really feel a difference.  Going back up that hill at home is definately much easier than it used to be.  With that in mind, I tried to think of something else that I could do to raise my fitness that would also be something I would enjoy.

The answer I came to was swimming.  Swimming is a great all round exercise for your body and I love to be in the pool.  I have already bought myself some speedo swimwear.  The only issue I have is that unlike the pool in my monthly day spa, the swimming pool has chlorine in it which my eyes really don't like.  So what is the answer to my dilemma?  Some swimming goggles.

Turns out after some investigation that, as you can see, goggles are no longer the huge, ugly looking monstrosities that your school used to make you wear when you went to the local pool.  

If I am going to start something I always ensure that I have the right equipment so that I cannot later say "Oh I didn't do it because I didn't have x, y and z".  I have always loved swimming and after my research, I have found several local places where I can go, with times specifically allocated to those who wants to swim lengths and more importantly, sectioned for those wanting a fast lane and for fitness beginners (me!).

So what about you?  What fitness activities do you enjoy?  Tell me!

*Collaborative post