Health & Fitness…..More than a journey!
Thinking back on years gone by I’ve always had a vague interest in health and fitness, primarily through sports but there was an interest. As a kid I always looked forward to the PE lessons, not because I was good at it (I wasn’t) but because I was doing something active. Rugby was always my first love and even though years have gone by, and it’s been a while since I played, it still holds a special place for me. But it hasn’t always been the case.
I wish I could say that I’ve always been active but I haven’t. My mid to late twenties was a large period of inactivity with a stressful job and a poor diet. Before I knew it I was close to 26 stone and busy shopping for size 44” trousers!! Something had to change!!
About ten years ago I saw a photo of myself and got a shock, I didn’t even recognise myself at first. How had I got so big?!! The answer is obvious but at the time I never truly understood the link between food, exercise and body composition. In fact it’s a lesson I’m still learning, especially as I complete my nutrition diplomas.
So it was time to join a gym and I remember being dragged kicking and screaming (quite literally as big rugby type blokes don’t do that eh!!) into a step class. I thought it would be easy but after 15mins I was wiped out….I couldn’t believe it!! I kept going till the end though, more out of pride than anything but I made it. It was only a step class but it truly changed my life…I was hooked on step from that point and it fast became my favourite activity. Sure I tried other things but step was always more fun!
A few years passed, I got fitter and lost a bit of weight (about 4stone). Then friends started to suggest that I think about being an instructor. I thought they were all a bit mad to be honest but they persisted (as good friends do) and I started to believe that I might actually be capable of doing it. One day I got a call from one of said friends to suggest that I go with her on the Exercise to Music (ETM) course which forms the foundation of many class based fitness qualifications. So I did and found myself enjoying it more and more, almost like a new lease of life.
It’s been a little over five years since I did that course. All I ever wanted to do was teach a single step class each week, I’d have been happy with that but the more I did, the more I wanted to do and the skill base grew. At the minute I’m teaching around six classes a week consisting of Bodypump, Bodycombat and of course Step! It hasn’t stopped there either…it’s become a bit of a calling over the years with courses in personal training, nutrition, pilates, core stability and so on. In fact the more I learn, the more I want to learn.
I still enjoy every minute of it. Everyday you get to improve someone’s quality of life, even if it’s only in a small way. Could it be a new direction from everyday office life? It could well be, but it’s all about taking the small steps every day! Every day I’m a work in progress physically, emotionally and in terms of knowledge. I don’t ever want to stop learning or training or helping that next person find out what they really can achieve.
It’s definitely more than a journey, it’s a rollercoaster ride so keep the arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times!!!
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What are your qualifications really worth?
Here’s one for your think tank……how many of you have gone off to college or university, done degrees or similar and spent loads of money doing it? Me for one!! I’m guilty of that charge and my question is….was it worth the cost?
Now if you went to university full time it probably was, especially if you used that time to enjoy yourself, travel the world and socialise with the many associations and clubs that form part of the lifestyle. However I would still ask you if the qualification(s) you got improved your ability to do your current profession or increase your earnings?
I’ll use myself as an example……
Whilst I didn’t go to university full time, I did attend in part to do my degree albeit a few years after most. Why did I do the degree? I’m not too sure but it probably had something to do with most people having done one and the fact my parents kept prattling on about it being “good for the career path”!!
So off I went and spent the next five years doing assignments, exams and dissertations as well as working a fifty hour week at the same time (I must have been mad!). At the end of it all I got my piece of paper saying that I had achieved a BSc(Hons) and that it was a 2/1…whatever that means!! Personally I think it just means that I was able to waffle a little better than most!! Either way that piece of paper cost me the best part of £10K.
Was it worth it? I’m not convinced…..There’s no doubt that I learnt several things from the course but given that I was working in that profession at the time, many of the assignments had little relevance to what goes on in the real world! In addition I also calculate that it took another five years for the qualification to pay for itself in terms of increased remuneration. Since that point I reckon that I’ve earned an additional £10K….hey at least its made something!!
By way of a contrast I’d like to give you another example…..
Over the past few years I’ve really enjoyed being part of the health and fitness lifestyle. Five years ago I decided to have a go at teaching various classes, etc and embarked on a series of courses to give me the necessary qualifications I needed (all at NVQ level). In total I probably spent around six months training to do various classes and spent around £2K doing it.
Since starting to teach my income from this venture has been circa £25K over the past five years. Not a massive amount but when you consider that I covered the costs in the first year, its pretty good.
So lets compare the two paths in terms of cost and financial return….
The BSc(Hons) Degree
Study Time: 5 Years
Cost: £10K
Income Generated: £20K
Financial Return: £10K
The NVQ Fitness Qualifications
Study Time: 6 Months
Cost: £2K
Income Generated: £25K
Financial Return: £23K
Now doesn’t that paint a picture?!!
If someone had said to me that my NVQ courses would give a better return than my degree I’d have laughed at them but the figures speak for themselves. So the next time you think about doing a qualification ask yourself the question……how much is it really worth?
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The Good Samaritan…Well kinda!!
Its about 8am and I’m busy travelling along the dual carriageway, nothing special just mooching along as normal on a cold and wet Wednesday morning. Unexpectedly the road goes from just being wet to having quite a bit of snow and slush on it. I’m in the outside lane at the time so I ease off the power while I prepare to drift back into the inside lane where the road surface is a little less “exciting”!
About 100m in front of me there’s a blue Corsa. Without warning its back end slides out of control pushing the car towards the central reservation. It then proceeds to skim off the barrier before hurtling across both lanes and rolling down into the ditch by the side of the carriageway.
So I pull off the carriageway about 20m from the crash site and make my way quickly to the car which is now lying on its side. A couple of other cars have also stopped to help and the three of us climb down the embankment.
The car is lying on the drivers side with the roof facing us. The opposing side of the car is blocked by a series of small trees and bushes which prevents the car being pushed back onto its wheels. After a couple of attempts we realise that the passenger side door is jammed and the windows (being electric) are inoperable. What’s more concerning is the fact that I can now smell fuel and something is starting to burn…..at least the engine has stopped.
I move swiftly to the back of the car. The boot is partly crushed but the window has shattered and can be quickly cleared. I drag the contents of the boot out and dump it together with the parcel shelf onto the ground. The car has a single occupant, thankfully she is moving and alert despite being in an obvious state of distress. Now there’s another problem as the head rests have jammed into the roof preventing the rear seats being pushed forward. Eventually I manage to lower the head rests enough to create a gap, and after a bit of “persuasion” the seat moves. Now we can get her out.
We help her to one of the cars and check that she’s ok, thank god for first aid training!! By now the first police car is on the scene….transport police….and he’s still in the car. A couple of minutes later the paramedics turn up…..the policeman is still in his car, although he has now parked it at a jaunty angle!!
The medics are asking questions. Meanwhile its party time as three more police cars and two fire tenders have turned up….the transport copper has now driven off…thanks for the help dude!!
I pass my details to the new police that have arrived on scene (a much more helpful bunch) and make my way back to my car. I resume my journey to work feeling quite pleased with myself, it’s nice to help someone…..
It’s always nice to know that the company you work for values your dedication. On arrival I was greeted by my disgruntled hierarchy whinging about how late I was (despite having phoned in advance to inform them)!! Sometimes there are more important things in life methinks!!
Later in the morning my phone rang…it was the lady I’d pulled out of the car and was ringing to say she’d been to hospital and was fine, and to thank me. I’m just glad I was there to help….
Topics: General | 3 Comments »
Airsoft? whats all that about?
Its been about three years since I did my first Airsoft skirmish. I can remember it clearly, that sense of anticipation and excitement mixed with a little nervousness and a desire to be proficient.
So what am I on about? What is Airsoft? Well rather than bore you with my own explanation I’ll offer you the following definition from Wikipedia…..
Airsoft is an activity used primarily for recreation or sport wherein replica firearms shooting 6mm or 8mm plastic rounds are used for personal collection, gaming (similar to Paintball), or professional training purposes (Military Simulations and Police training exercises). A primary difference between airsoft firearms and BB guns is that the former uses plastic bullets and have muzzle velocities of less than 500 feet per second (FPS) on average, which is generally considered safe when used in a controlled environment, while the latter utilizes metal ammunition and shoots at higher velocities (up to, and over 1000 FPS), making them unsuitable for gaming and training purposes.
Airsoft games vary greatly in style and composition depending on location, budget, and the quantity of participants but often range from short-term skirmishes and organized scenarios to military simulations and historical reenactments.
Combat situations on the battlefield often involve the use of common military tactics to achieve the objectives set in each game. Participants typically use varying types of airsoft weaponry along with either real or replica military gear and uniforms.
Ok so that’s a pretty general description, in reality the sport (believe it or not that’s what its classed as) can be whatever you want it to be. It attracts a massive variety of players from those who just like dressing up (weird as that may sound) to those who enjoy the tactical game.
As for me I saw it as a way to maintain many of the skills I’ve learnt over the years as well as continuing to develop my teamwork skills. There’s a certain satisfaction to be felt when you complete a task or operation successfully as well as that rush of adrenalin when everything kicks off!!
If I had to sum up why I do it I’d say that in the end it’s all about achievement, both the physical and psychological. The physical achievement from the teamwork and good skills, and the psychological from knowing how you react under pressure, the ability to make quick decisions while keeping a cool head. Anyway it’s good to test yourself isn’t it?
Now if any of this ignites a glimmer of interest, just follow the link to the F-Coy Forum.
Topics: Airsoft | No Comments »
It not the critic….
It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by the dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy course; who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly; so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat.
Theodore Roosevelt (Paris Sorbonne,1910)
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