Apprehensive, my youngest daughter Charlotte and I made our way up the steps to Goodlife gym in Mitcham, South Australia … and what do I do? Trip up said steps in full view of reception!  There’s nothing like making an entrance as my diabetes colleagues can attest I have been known to do with friend and colleague Victoria at the annual diabetes conference! (Photos below for the uninitiated!)

I digress.  Gyms have certainly changed. The last time I was in a gym, this one in fact, my first born was a baby… she’s 25 now and in the final year of her PhD! The equipment looks more menacing and the cycling craze has created a room filled … and I mean filled … with static exercise bikes stacked centimetres away from each other for that ‘middle of the cycling pack’ feel. Not ready for that one just yet! There are rooms for strangely named exercise classes, lots of different weights and gym equipment plus a circuit room. Surely I’ll find something to wrangle this body back under control!

We meet with the lovely and very enthusiastic Steve and before we know it we’re signed up and motivated to go. First stop a few days later was my session with angelic faced Christine (below), my personal trainer. Poor Christine doesn’t know what she has ahead of her!

Turns out I didn’t know what was ahead of me! The assessment included trying out machines (set with weights way too heavy in my humble opinion) and a variety of floor activities. Getting up and down was more exercise than I’d done in a while … but then Christine said it … yes … near the end of the session she actually said it … ‘Jayne, I want you to do a … PLANK’.

What?  Look at this body … it’s not ready for a plank!  Down I get … face down on a floor that’s probably had litres of sweat dripped onto it over the years … arms and legs prepared, look of determination on my face … and up … I’m up … plank position engaged!  Hold … hold … hold … not your breathe, breathe you fool … five seconds … ten seconds … still going … grit and determination kicks in … fifteen seconds … don’t give up Jayne you’ve got this … 19 seconds … flop … and the final count? Twenty glorious seconds! I did a twenty second plank … maybe there is hope for this body?

Who knew my grit and determination would be found face down on a gym floor doing a plank … something that physically stretched me and planted a sense of optimism that just maybe this body could do more than I thought.

It’s time to kick-start these muscles back to work. My pesky insulin receptor sites are about to have a makeover as they help turn-off my over production of insulin by decreasing their insulin resistance with strength and cardio based exercising. You never know, maybe I can change my current apple shape back into its original pear shape … but let’s learn to walk before we run!  Sorry got to go … I’m off to the gym!

PS Reassured the day after our introductory session when Charlotte (youngest daughter) asks, “Are your legs feeling sort of tight?” Phew … not just me.

PPS I was the victor in a plank-off challenge with Charlotte this morning and the plank-hold time was…….