CROSSFIT CAIRNGORM: Rod Stewart is still turning out the HITs!
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
I would never have imagined that I had anything in common with Rod Stewart.
I am not a multi-millionaire, my voice is more of a squeak than an intriguing rasp, and nobody is ever going to pay to hear me sing. But it turns out that Rod and I have a shared interest: we are both fans of HIT or High intensity exercise.
The 78-year-old does HIT so he is fighting fit to go out on tour.
A decade younger, I do it so I can chase after the grandchildren and in the hope that I will still be active and healthy for many years to come.
A recent report by the Health Foundation found that by the age of 70 many of us will have at least three long term health conditions such as diabetes, cancer and chronic pain.
But ill-health is not inevitable. Being physically active can delay and prevent such conditions and help sufferers cope better with them.
What Rod and I do has proven benefits: as does regular sleep, less stress and a good diet.
Mind you Rod and I both go about our activity in very different ways. Rod does SAS style training with a personal trainer which apparently involves swimming with a brick on his back.
I couldn’t be tempted into a swimming pool with a brick on my back unless there was an entire army of highly trained lifeguards on hand.
But I do join classes at CrossFit Cairngorm where there are plenty of us older folk doing lunges and squats and raising our heart rate. Laughing too.
The latter strikes me as crucially important. All power to Rod and his determination to get and stay fit, but one of the things I’ve learned since being part of the CrossFit Cairngorm community is that exercise doesn’t have to be a penance, it can be fun. When it is, it doesn’t just benefit your physical health but your mental health too. The social aspect is important. I hope Rod isn’t missing out on that.
In the past I have found all my attempts to become a regular gym user a boring and lonely experience.
But when you are training alongside others of all ages and different backgrounds and different levels of fitness there are plenty of opportunities to laugh and engage in other people’s lives and experiences.
It doesn’t have to be at the gym. Simply choose your preferred activity. I sometimes play tennis (hello to the Grantown Tennis Girls!) and the moments when we sit out a set and chat while others are getting their turn are part of the enjoyment.
Like all good habits, you are more likely to keep doing something if it brings you pleasure.
So, good on Rod and his determination to get fit and stay fit. I admire any 78-year-old who can swim with a brick on his back. But Rod, make sure you are having fun too.
If you are ever in Aviemore, drop into CrossFit Cairngorm on the Dalfaber Industrial Estate in Aviemore for some exercise—and a good laugh.
• Lyn Gardiner is a member of CrossFit Cairngorm. Visit https://crossfitcairngorm.com/ for more information
