Yes, you read it correctly. I’ve decided never to go to the gym again…sort of.
After paying monthly membership fees for a year to one of the larger exercises facilities in Toronto, I decided to cancel my membership when I realised that I could count the number of times I actually went to the gym over the past year on one hand. Not a very good track record and I think rather hypocritical of me to not practice what I preach.
In any case, I decided that I needed to find something that I actually enjoyed. I remember being a kid and really loving to move around. I took all sorts of dance and gymnastics classes, not to mention loving school gym class and joining just about every school sports team that I could. When did exercise become such a chore?
Well, I recently decided to go back to what I love and sign up for some adult programs in Toronto. Let me tell you, it was the best exercise-related decision I have ever made!
I spent about 6 months on a waiting list before I was able to register for ballet classes at the National Ballet School of Canada last year. Don’t be intimidated by the name of the school. The adult program has classes for all skill levels including those who have never put on a pair of ballet shoes before and the teachers are wonderful at maintaining a balance between proper technique and dancing. Don’t think that ballet is just for girls either! There is a great mix of both men and women in all levels. If you were ever interested in ballet as a child, let me tell you that there is no such thing as too old to give it a go again.
Finally, I haven’t run away, but I have definitely joined the circus! Toronto School for Circus Arts offers some great classes that let you run around and jump off the walls while still getting a great workout. I’ve currently signed up for the more traditional strength and stretch class along with a tumbling class (reminiscent of my gymnastics days, but far more difficult and painful than what I remember!). The strength class uses an exercise ball for many of the exercises and it is one of the best workouts I have ever endured. There is absolutely no way of cheating your way through exercises when you are depending on the ball for “stability”.
The flexibility class is based on active isolated stretching. I was familiar with the theory behind this type of exercise, however the actual activity was new to me. I’ve gone to two classes so far and I have yet to master any of the positions in a way that engages any kind of meaningful stretch. However, these two classes have shown me several weaknesses in my body that I never would have noticed had I not engaged in such an exercise and, like anything else, the actual stretching will come with time and practice.
In a few months, I might consider trying out some of the other circus activities such as trapeze, trampoline, or aerial silks. But for now, I think I’ll take it slowly and stick with what I’m familiar with.
One of the cons of going the route of organized classes is that the upfront cost is probably higher than a simple gym pass. However, the definite pro, at least for me, is that I look forward to going to each of these classes every week, I make a point of not missing them and I absolutely love participating in these activities. The actual exercise is simply an added benefit.
I’m not discrediting the benefits of exercising at a gym. However, I think we sometimes forget that we can go back to the things we used to enjoy and still reap physical benefits while having fun.
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[...] physical limits and re-learn old tumbling skills. Like I mentioned in my post about about “Never Going to the Gym Again!“, after being away from any sort of gymnastics training for over 10 year (am I really that [...]
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