​As mentioned in my goals for 2020, I have recently reduced the frequency of personal training at the gym from weekly to six weekly.  You might be wondering why I did this, when one of my goals is to continue with my health and fitness journey and lose weight.  Surely, the accountability that comes from seeing a trainer and weighing once a week would help keep me on track?  You might think, but this didn’t really work for me in 2019.  I had a great year in 2018, managing to lose 26 kg while seeing Alice every week, but after I recovered from a relapse and returned to the gym (having put some of that weight back on), it didn’t really help me.  For one, I found personal training every week stressful on top of my commitments regarding the garden and hosting the wwoofers who have been staying with us to help us out.  I was always cancelling, which didn’t make me feel good.  I also didn’t want to annoy my trainer and felt that I was letting her down.  Another thing was that I found weekly weigh-ins too much.  I became so upset if the scales hadn’t budged and started to eat things I shouldn’t because I felt so depressed.  Over the past few months, I did some reflecting on this year with regard to my health and fitness journey, as I didn’t want to make the same mistakes again next year.  That’s why I decided to adopt a different strategy.

Although I made excellent progress seeing a trainer every week back in 2018, before that I have also gotten great results without seeing a trainer (and even gym) at all.  You might recall me mentioning that I lost quite a bit of weight on my own.  Yes, it is possible to train yourself!  Sure, it takes some discipline and self-motivation, but it can be done in my experience.  I used to train myself when I lived in Europe during my 20s.  I’m not sure there is such thing as having a personal trainer in France!  The thing is, I really like seeing my personal trainer Alice and she has helped me tremendously in the past, so somehow I wanted to marry the two together and strike a balance between seeing a trainer and training myself.  This means that I will continue to have fresh exercise programmes in the weights area of the gym, which I can do myself.  It also means accountability but rather than being obsessed with the scales, I can instead focus on the food scales every day, weighing, measuring and recording my intake so I get things right on a micro level.  I hope that by weighing every six weeks, I am actually able to make better progress with weight loss, but time will tell.

In the past week, I have also started doing 10k runs again, even though they are on the slow side.  In 2019, I mainly only ran 5ks because I thought I would do the Swim and Run series put on by the North Harbour Triathlon Club and that is the maximum distance.  However, I attended an ocean swimming clinic put on by Banana Boat back in November and quickly learnt that ocean swimming isn’t for me.  Just because you can swim in a pool, it doesn’t mean that you’ll find it easy to swim in the sea!  The water was as thick as soup and I couldn’t see a thing!  This left me devastated, because training for the entire year had revolved around this goal and I felt crushed by the fact that I wouldn’t be able to compete in the series, not to mention the fact I had missed the opportunity to compete in the first half of the YMCA 10k Summer Series, which I had done in 2018.  It took awhile for me to pick myself up but I managed to develop a better long term outlook and set new goals for 2020, including health and fitness ones.

Now that the outdoor swimming pool in my community has opened, I have started going for a 45 minute swim every evening when they close the pool to all but lane swimmers.  I have really been enjoying this time to relax and unwind after a busy day in the garden, usually with wwoofers.

Speaking of wwoofers, we have been taking them more regularly to try and help me prevent the injuries which I have been getting regularly, which all stem from gardening and not from the gym or running.  My personal trainer has also incorporated some rehab work into my training programme so we can get to the root of some of the problems I have been having.
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Finally, I have cancelled my Netflix subscription and instead subscribed to Les Mills On Demand so I can exercise in my own time at home if I can’t make it to the gym.

Lately, I have been finding it a real struggle to get to the gym.  Although I have a membership at New Zealand’s best gym, Les Mills, it doesn’t make it any easier to actually use my membership.  The main problem is that spring is typically the busiest time for gardeners and we have been hosting a constant stream of wwoofers to help me get on top of things.  Although I always say that I’m going to reduce the scale of the garden each summer, that never ends up happening and I always end up being way in over my head!  Unfortunately, this also means that I don’t have time to see my trainer,  so I have had to resort to training myself, which can always be challenging.

I have already written about the benefits of having a home gym, but in this blog post I thought I would go a step further and provide some ideas for exercises that you can do outside the gym.  For those of you that travel for work or pleasure, you may find these exercises useful as you can do them on the road.  Some of these exercises use some basic gym equipment which I have invested in over the years.

Please note that I am not a qualified personal trainer but have been an avid gym goer and exercise fanatic over the past 20 years, so I merely hope to pass on some thoughts I have had about exercising remotely to others.

Upper body

• Press ups.  Start on your knees and work your way to being able to do them on your toes
• Chest press.  You’ll need a set of dumb bells for these.  If you don’t have a bench (or step box which I sometimes use), you can do this exercise lying on the floor
• Flyes.  You’ll need dumb bells for these
• Shoulder press.  You’ll need a set of dumb bells for this exercise, lighter than the ones you would use for chest press and flyes.
• Tricep dips.  You need a bench or step box for these

Lower body

• Glute bridges on the floor (I like to hold for 10 seconds)
• Wall sits.  Hold for as long as you can.  You can increase the time you hold for every time you do this exercise.  Isometric holds are very effective and you should feel burning in your quads if you’re doing the exercise properly
• Lunges.  You can do these with or without dumb bells.  To make the exercise more challenging, you can put one leg on a step box
• Walking lunges
• Monster walk using resistance bands.  I got mine from Aim’n.
• Crab, using resistance bands

Core

• Sit ups.  You can do these on the floor or on a swiss ball
• “Dead Bug”
• Prone hold
• Side hold (variation of prone hold)

Conditioning

• Mountain runners
• Everest steps (variation on mountain runners)
• Burpees. These are one of the hardest exercises to do in my opinion, with the exception of chin ups, perhaps.
• Step ups.  These are as simple as stepping on and off a step box or you can use a higher box
• Box jumps
• Skipping

​Cardio that doesn’t require a gym

• Walking outdoors
• Running
• Swimming (in a pool or ocean swimming)
• Exercise bike.  We have one of these at home.  They are relatively inexpensive and are a great alternative for cardio when it’s raining and you can’t exercise outdoors
• Exercise videos.  Les Mills on Demand is excellent and most programmes can be done at home and don’t require equipment
• Boot camp

Recently, I attended a seminar at my gym Les Mills Howick on winter wellness.  The presenter was a very experienced personal trainer called Sheree Beaumont, who is also a qualified nutritionist.  We’re in the middle of winter at the moment and a lot of people suffer from the winter blues.  I have been feeling unmotivated lately and lost my passion for training.  Getting through my daily work out was a struggle and something which I really didn’t enjoy doing.  As you may recall me mentioning in my post about how to beat procrastination, lately I have been putting off my morning work out until the afternoon and I often didn’t feel like doing it then, either.  I knew that if I didn’t develop a better attitude to my fitness soon, there would be no hope of competing in the North Harbour Triathlon Club’s Swim and Run series this summer, which remains my fitness goal for 2019.  At the moment, I can swim 1000m continuous freestyle at the local pool and run 5k, which is the maximum required for the races.  However, braving the elements outdoors and swimming in the ocean is another matter entirely. I also need to improve on my speed if I want to keep up with the other competitors, most of whom are triathletes and are even fitter than the runners at the YMCA.  Sheree’s seminar was just what I needed to motivate me and two weeks on, it has already helped me tremendously to get back on track.  Here’s a summary of the points she made:

1.       Look at your body like a house
It will be your home for the rest of your life, so you have to look after it.  Sheree’s house metaphor resonated with me on another level. With Auckland house prices at an all time high, a lot of people are understandably worried about investing in property before it’s too late.  But don’t forget that you also need to invest in yourself, and this isn’t something you should put off until later in life.  You need to work on improving your health and fitness every day of your life.  A lot of people feel that gym memberships and personal training are luxuries, but to me, they’re not as they’re necessary to looking after my health.  If you don’t look after your health first, you won’t be well enough to work and provide for anyone in your care. It’s all very circular. A simple point but one that many people tend to forget.

2.       Remember the 5 Ss
                    i.            Sleep

•          If you are dieting and sleep deficient, 70% of the weight you lose will come from lean muscle mass!
•          The less you sleep, the more you will eat
•          Use the bedroom as a place for sleeping only. Don’t turn it into a lounge, office or living room
•          Have a night time routine.  Plan for the following day by preparing your clothes and prepping meals. Switch off all electronic devices.  Aim to be in bed by 10 pm

                   ii.            Stress

•          Some stress in our lives is good to keep us adapting and changing, but too much leads to a high level of cortisol.  This will result in the body storing more fat
•          Practising diaphragmatic breathing can help with stress
•          Cut down on coffee because it stays in the system for 12 hours, affecting the quality of our sleep
•          Exercise can cause stress.  Avoid overdoing cardio and HIIT to allow the body to rest and recover.  Keep your workouts varied, with some strength training, group fitness classes and walking outdoors.  Aim for one class like yoga or body balance every week to calm the nervous system

                 iii.            Self-love

•          It’s important to protect what’s inside, so you can relax and recharge
•          Try to do something for yourself for 10-15 minutes every day. It could be reading a book, writing a journal, taking a bath or meditating

                 iv.            Sugar and processed foods

•          Sugar is a toxin and should be kept to a minimum
•          Try to stick to a wholefoods diet 80-90% of the time
•          Avoid foods in packets and processed foods.  Stick to fruit, veggies, meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy.  Good sources of carbs are brown rice, quinoa and oats

                   v.            Supplements

•          Try to drink at least 2-3 litres of water per day to keep the cells working effectively and flush out toxins
•          Our soil lacks the nutrients needed to keep our bodies functioning optimally, such as selenium, zinc, magnesium and iodine.  If it isn’t in our soil, it isn’t in our food!
•          Check your nails for white spots and if they bend or break easily, as they’re a sign of zinc deficiency.    Zinc is needed to strengthen our hair, nails, give us healthy skin and strengthen the immune system
•          A sign that you are deficient in Omega 3s or good fats is if you have red spots on the back of your arms.  They are essential for reducing inflammation, improving cognitive functioning, healthy hormones and skin health.  It may be beneficial to add fish oil supplements to your diet like I have, as it’s hard to source all the Omega 3 you need in fish itself
•          Magnesium is essential and we need more of it when we are stressed. Magnesium calms down the body’s level of stress by relaxing our central nervous system
•          Make sure your level of Vitamin C is adequate.  We need it not only to help combat viruses and colds, but also to reduce cortisol levels
•          We don’t get enough of these in our diets so adding a high quality multi-vitamin can really help to make you feel energetic, along with perhaps an additional magnesium supplement

3.       Some final points
Sheree finished by emphasising that we don’t achieve anything by trying to do everything.  Take things a step at a time and focus on one of the 5 Ss that you need to address most.  Once you have made progress, you can start on the next one.

A big thank you again to Sheree for putting this presentation together and delivering such a dynamic seminar.  As I told her, not many people would take the time to do this and I do appreciate it.  We hope this write up of the excellent points she made will help others, too.

Sheree can be reached at sheree@strengthenhealnourish.com​

This is the final post in a three-part series I have written about Type 2 diabetes.  To read Part I, where I cover what Type 2 diabetes is and how it can be managed, click here. In Part II, I covered diet, the importance of weight management, drinking lots of water, exercising, managing stress and getting enough sleep in controlling Type 2 diabetes.  Click here to read Part II.  In this post, I will cover the importance of caring about your feet, teeth and eyes as a diabetic, as well as recording your blood sugar levels.  I also discuss how belonging to a diabetes association can be helpful.  To close, I set out some further suggested reading about diabetes.

Feet
Diabetics need to take extra care of their feet.  Dry between your toes after showering. Every year, make sure the nurse at your practice checks your feet for sensation. Always wear shoes, both indoors and outdoors.  This is important to remember in NZ where a barefoot culture in prevalent on the beach and around the home.  Watch out for cuts as they can lead to infections.

Teeth
Diabetics need to take extra care of their teeth.  Make sure you visit your dentist every six months for a check-up.

Eyes
If you have Type 2 diabetes, your GP should refer you Retinal screening every 2-3 years.  This is where they check behind your eyes for bleeding.  Not all optometrists do this so you may find that you have to go to different clinic to your normal optometrist.  You might also notice that your eyes feel a lot drier since your diagnosis.  Eye drops can help to relieve dry eyes temporarily.

Record your blood sugar levels
Invest in a blood testing machine.  Your doctor will tell you how regularly you need to test your blood sugar.  It’s a good idea to keep note of this.  You might find that your morning blood sugar is higher than your evening one. Don’t worry as this is normal.  Have your HBA1c tested every year.

Diabetes association
It can be a good idea to join a diabetes association for support.  Ours has monthly meetings with a guest speaker about a topic related to diabetes.  You don’t always have to go to the meetings if you’re busy and/or the topics don’t interest you but if you are a member you have access to someone for support if you have any questions. The magazine they send out contains advice, recipes, tips etc which is also helpful.

Further reading
There are a lot of resources about diabetes in print and electronic form.  I highly recommend the book, Diabetes: A Practical Guide to Managing your Health (see below), which a former flatmate while I was living in London who had Type 1 diabetes recommended to me.
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o   Diabetes Strong, https://diabetesstrong.com/, a portal created by Christel Oerum who has Type 1 diabetes and who you may recall me mentioning in a previous post
o   Rosemary Walker & Jill Rodgers, Diabetes: A Practical Guide to Managing your Health, Dorling Kindersley, 2004

​In Part I of this series, I described what diabetes is and how it can be managed.  To read Part I, please click here.  In Part II, I will discuss the diet that I follow which enables me to control my condition without meds.  I will also cover the importance of weight management, drinking lots of water, exercising, managing stress and getting enough sleep in controlling Type 2 diabetes.

Diet
Ideally, diabetics should aim to have between 30-50 grams of carbohydrates per meal three times daily, plus 10-15 g of carbohydrates snacks in between.  Not everyone would agree with me about how much carbohydrate I should be consuming as a diabetic.  Remember that everyone’s bodies process sugar differently and you need to learn what works for you through trial and error.  Mum and I both find that we’re able to control Type 2 diabetes naturally without recourse to any medication such as insulin or metformin by structuring our diet around the 30-50g of carbohydrate per meal rule.  This is really all thanks to mum who is a retired nurse and has a very good understanding of health and the human body. 

Remember that as a matter of overall health, we all need some carbohydrate in our diet, whether we have diabetes or not.  In my personal opinion, it’s best to opt for carbohydrates in moderation which are found naturally in fresh vegetables such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips and corn.  They keep your blood sugar level rather than consuming highly processed packet foods which are filled with sugar and will cause your blood sugar levels to spike dangerously.

Mum and I have both eliminated sugar from our diet as it has the effect of increasing our blood sugar.  There are traces in foods such as bread, crackers etc but this is generally fine.

We drink alcohol only very occasionally as it does affect our blood sugar.

The owner of a previous gym who has Type 1 diabetes suggests that diabetics avoid peas and corn, as they tend to increase your blood sugar.  I find that I am able to have these occasionally, in moderation.

Weight management
It is important to maintain a healthy weight if you have diabetes

Water
Drinking lots of water helps flush sugar out of the system and maintain healthy blood sugar levels

Exercise
Try to get some exercise every day. Go to the gym, for a walk, run or swim at your local pool. It really does help lower blood sugar levels, not to mention help with overall weight management

Stress
Stress can have the effect of increasing your blood sugar levels.  Try to relax. Meditation can help.  I took Les Mills Body Balance classes (a mix of pilates, tai chi and yoga) on a regular basis at a gym I used to go to a few years ago.  It took a long time for me to learn how to relax but eventually I could see the progress.  Be patient.  You’ll get there in the end too.
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Sleep
Try to get enough sleep.  I aim for at least 8 hours every night.

Back in 2016, I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.  Needless to say, I was devastated.  Conscious that the condition runs in the family, since my early 20s, I had always made an effort to exercise regularly and maintain a healthy weight.  However, the diagnosis of schizophrenia at the age of 29 meant a dramatic increase in my weight from the anti-psychotic medication that I was prescribed.  This wasn’t helped by the fact that the anti-psychotic medication has a tendency to increase blood sugar levels.  Before I knew it, I had developed diabetes.

While this is a deeply personal topic, I wanted to open up about my experience living with and managing this complex condition.  I hope that I can help others who are in the same situation, or those with loved ones who suffer from diabetes.  Please bear in mind that people are different and I have experience only with Type 2 diabetes, so this information is no substitute for seeing a doctor if you think you might have diabetes or would like to control your condition better.

Since this is a very broad subject, I will divide it into a series of posts.  In this post, I will describe what diabetes is and how it can be managed.

What is Type 2 diabetes?
Type 2 diabetes is a condition where your body cells are resistant to the action of insulin and/or your pancreas produces decreasing amounts of insulin.

Certain ethnic groups are predisposed to developing Type 2 diabetes.  If you are of South Asian, African, Carribean, Maori or Polynesian descent, you are five times more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes than people of Caucasian origin.  Being overweight also increases your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

Why is diabetes so serious?
If ignored or badly controlled, diabetes can have far-reaching consequences for your overall health including amputation, blindness and even death

How is it diagnosed?
You won’t feel well.  Symptoms of Type 2 diabetes include fatigue, lack of energy, passing large amounts of urine, thirst and gradual weight loss.

If you’re in a high-risk category like me, your doctor might be keeping an eye on your HBA1C levels regularly.

Management of Type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes can be controlled by (i) insulin (in serious cases); (ii) a drug such as metformin (and possibly insulin as well); or (iii) diet and exercise, like  me.

The key is to keep your blood sugar levels stable throughout the day.  Contrary to popular belief, you can’t reverse diabetes once you have it, but you can manage it.

When I was first diagnosed with diabetes in February 2016, my HbA1c level was 57.  I was lucky that my GP gave me the chance to lower it to an acceptable range without meds.  As I was able to bring it down to 50 after three months and 41 by the end of the year through diet and exercise and my HbA1c readings have been within the acceptable range since then, I have controlled my condition without meds for three years.
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According to my dentist, controlling diabetes through diet and exercise rather than meds is preferable because the drug metformin can cause dry mouth and lead to gym disease.

​As I mentioned in a previous post, I have started incorporating swimming into my fitness programme because I hope to enter some swim and run events such as Stroke and Stride over the summer.  I need to be able to swim between 500-1000m in the ocean, freestyle, non-stop.  Improving on my stroke and speed now will mean that I’m not panicking later on.  I thought it might be a good idea to put together a blog post outlining some of the benefits of swimming, as well as some tips for improvement.

Benefits of swimming
o   A great form of stress relief
o   A good type of cardiovascular fitness activity
o   A great way to lose weight, as it burns plenty of calories
o   A good type of exercise to do if you’re large as you’re submersed in water.  Jumping/high energy activities on land may be difficult if you’re carrying excess weight
o   An excellent activity for women who are pregnant
o   Swimming is low impact on joints, reducing the risk of injury or making it a suitable exercise for those in rehabilitation from injuries
o   After awhile, you’ll see improved sleeping patterns
o   It’s inexpensive. Some community pools in Auckland are free
o   It’s refreshing.  You can’t beat the feeling of being in the water
o   It doesn’t matter if the weather is cold, wet and windy as you’ll be indoors
o   In the heat of summer, there’s nothing nicer than swimming in an outdoor pool
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Tips
o   Swim T3 is the place to go for all your swimming needs.  They stock an excellent range of swimsuits, wetsuits, caps and goggles
o   If you’re after a heated 50m swimming pool to train in, you can’t go past the Newmarket Olympic Pools.  I recently won a free one month’s membership and really enjoyed going there, but it’s a bit far so I’ll probably stick to training in a local community pool
o   Work out when the pool isn’t busy and try to fit your swimming in then
o   Take a bag to put your belongings in.  Don’t forget to take a towel and a snack for after the swim.  Sometimes I have a protein shake, other times I have a piece of fruit or a yoghurt
o   It pays to invest in decent goggles.  Until I did so, I found that my goggles always got foggy, the strap broke and they filled up with water, ruining my swim
o   If you wear glasses, look for a pair of prescription goggles.  Being able to actually see properly in the water makes swimming much more enjoyable
o   Wear a swimming cap.  It keeps your hair neatly in place, but you’ll find that you still have to wash it afterwards
o   Swimming can be hard on your hair.  If you swim most days like me, you’ll be washing your hair nearly every day.  It pays to invest in a decent moisture repair shampoo and conditioner to prevent your hair from becoming dry
o   Forget beach attire.  Wear chlorine resistant swimming togs which are made for swimming.  For ladies, I recommend a one-piece suit as they fit best when you’re doing lots of lane swimming
o   Take a pair of jandals to wear in the changing rooms, so you avoid getting athlete’s foot
o   After a long swim, treat yourself to a soak in the spa pool or head for the sauna

As I mentioned in a previous post, I recently had a relapse which meant that I put on quite a bit of weight, as I usually do when I’ve been sick.  Notwithstanding this, I was determined to get back into it and continue with my weight loss journey.  If you have suffered a set-back and are looking for some tips on how to get back on the horse again, you might want to read my previous blog post on this subject.  Starting over is never easy but sometimes you just need to hang in there and ride out the rough patches.  To start with, it helps if you can identify what you are particularly struggling with. 

​Here are some of the difficulties I have encountered thus far on my journey:
o   Always feeling hungry
o   Continually dreaming about foods that I shouldn’t be eating
o   Looking at “forbidden foods” while shopping at the supermarket
o   Finding it hard to stay within my daily allowance on My Fitness Pal, the app which I use to track my eating and exercise
o   Not always weighing and measuring what I’m eating, making it hard to correctly gauge amounts and calories

After about a month, I have had a breakthrough.  These are challenges I will always face but they are no longer such a struggle.  There wasn’t anything in particular that I did to help with this; it just happened organically.  What I have learnt is that sometimes your body just needs time to adjust to eating less food and of course eating different kinds of foods when you are watching your weight.  I did reform my diet rather radically so it’s no wonder that my body was protesting so much!

Remember that this is a journey.  There is no quick fix.  To improve your health, lose weight and gain fitness you need to implement lifestyle changes gradually, which are on-going in nature.  This means that there will be ups and downs.  You just have to learn to accept the bad with the good and stick with your programme in the long term.

Here are some additional pointers:
o   It might help if you re-define your fitness goals.  Set some new and interesting challenges to work towards, such as entering an event
o   Sometimes you can get stuck in an exercise rut.  Try a new fitness activity.  I have recently started incorporating swimming into my fitness regime and find that it’s great.  It’s low impact, refreshing and helps me sleep well
o   Revamp where and how you exercise.  A change of scenery can be a good way to kick-start your fitness regime again.  Try a new gym (even just for a session or two), set up a home gym which you can use occasionally (see my last post for advice on this subject) or try Les Mills on Demand, which gives you a huge range of workouts that you can do at home at your convenience
o   Make eating interesting by trying a new recipe for variety, so you don’t end up eating the same foods again and again
o   Layer up and head outdoors to exercise.  In winter, we tend to hibernate but you’ll feel so much better getting some fresh air.  I find being outdoors in winter really refreshing, especially in the early mornings when it isn’t usually windy
o   Buy some new exercise gear – wearing something new can make you look forward to exercising and feel good while doing it.  It can be tempting to wait until you lose weight before purchasing a new outfit but I’m a firm believer in celebrating the journey, not just the final destination​

​Over the years, I amassed a number of different pieces of gym equipment and set up a small home gym to use at times when I’ve been unwell enough to exercise at my regular gym.  I have even tried to do away with my gym membership and exercise at home, but I always inevitably end up back at a gym.  In other words, for me, a home gym is no substitute for a gym membership.  Having said that, I do think that having a home gym can be very worthwhile and it is something that I use in conjunction with a gym membership.  I thought it might be helpful to others if I set out the advantages and disadvantages to home gyms, as well as some tips for those who are considering setting one up.

Advantages

•          Having a home gym gives you the complete freedom to exercise whenever you want.  You won’t be governed by your gym’s opening and closing times, as well as class schedules
•          You can’t beat the convenience of a home gym.  You can fit your exercise in without having to leave the house!  This saves valuable travelling time getting to and from your usual gym.  A home gym can also be extremely helpful for new mothers who find it difficult to leave the house
•          You’ll save money on expensive gym memberships.  Look at any capital expenditure incurred purchasing equipment as a long term investment
•          No one will see you exercising so it doesn’t matter if you don’t have the latest work out gear.  Unlike some commercial gyms, home gyms aren’t competitive, gossipy or bitchy

Disadvantages

•          The set up costs can be high. Gym equipment, especially machine weights and racks, can be costly
•          You probably won’t have all the equipment that a commercial gym has
•          You need enough space which can be a challenge in an apartment and most houses
•          The biggest challenge is actually being motivated enough to use it. A friend from an old gym told me that most home gyms fail for this reason
•          There is no substitute for the sense of community fostered by a commercial gym.  Over the years that I have been a gym member, I have received so much support and encouragement from other members and gym staff.  I have made life-long friends who have helped me stay motivated on my fitness journey
•          Having other users in a commercial gym creates atmosphere and can motivate you.  For this reason, I personally don’t mind having to wait for equipment or work in with people who are using the same equipment
•          The risk of injury in a home gym is higher as there is no one to correct your posture
•          Although factoring in time to get to and from the gym can be a drag, it is nice to get out of the house, especially if you work from home.  Having a home gym can make you feel house-bound

Still keen to set up a home gym?  To give you an idea of what pieces of equipment may be helpful, here’s a list of what’s in mine:

•          Exercise bike
•          Swiss ball
•          Dumb bells in a range of different weights
•          Kettle bell
•          Reebok Step Box
•          Skipping rope
•          Aim’n resistance bands
•          Foam Roller

You may also find the following equipment useful:

•          Les Mills on demand. This gives you access to all the Les Mills classes, so you can do these workouts at home
•          Barbell and weights
•          Boxing bag and gloves
•          Treadmill
•          Rower