They were my immediate thoughts when the GM told me about the company’s new wellness plan.
For the first session 5 of us rolled up and met Amanda, our designated trainer. That session was great fun. Boxing and stretching. Oh a piece of cake. A chance to show off. No worries.
The next day arrived and muscles that had been long dormant reminded us all that they were still there. Crikey my office is on the first floor… that means stairs. It is strange how the whole office bonds together when we all have similar aches, pains and legs giving out from underneath us. I didn’t realise how much I had let my fitness slip. I was fit once I kept telling myself.
Oh god! How will I survive next week??!
That was twelve months ago and now I am a regular at Anytime Fitness several times a week. Amanda has shown great patience in explaining to me the correct way to use those once strange exercise machines as well as persevering when I talk back and whinge while stretching at the end of a class. I have been given programmed workouts (which are updated regularly), and advice on diet. I’ve additionally had body scans from a flash machine to show me my improvements and weight loss. Also just training at the gym and noticing other Anytime regulars losing weight and getting stronger, can only inspire a fat old bloke like me.
I particularly look forward to Coolphase’s Tuesday afternoon training sessions at Anytime Fitness Ormeau with Janet and Betty, the administration team. We train hard but always have a laugh. As a bonus we get to talk about those sessions for a whole week. Janet and Betty also find themselves going to the gym alone or together several times a week. Having healthier staff that have something more in common than the occasional Friday arvo drink has improved staff morale. The office staff who participate in the wellness program get to have fun by our jovial banter while improving our overall fitness and health.
I am still nowhere near an athlete or a muscle man, but I am well and truly on my way to being healthier. When I started the program I had major trouble doing 10 lunges. Last week I did 100! I really do feel fitter and stronger. I can honestly say that Coolphase’s ongoing commitment to its employees has paid off tenfold for me. I have found that I am not too old for the gym after all.
Wayne “The Rock” Watson.
