built like a Tyrannosaurus Rex<\/a>. I have short arms, tiny hands and feet, a huge bottom, and thick, strong long legs. I also have a tiny back and massive tits and while I\u2019m not sure if lady Tyrannosauruses had this issue, it gives me no upper body strength and makes it nigh on impossible to do certain poses. I have been told by every instructor I\u2019ve ever worked with that this is simply down to my investment, but I know it\u2019s not.<\/p>\nThe first class I opt for is Ashtanga, as I have done this before. It\u2019s considered dynamic and powerful, but what that really means to me is fast and furious. As expected, the class is full of lithe people already showing off how bendy and balanced they are, practising headstands before class even starts. I\u2019m instantly off to an insecure start. The class kicks off with my instructor, who is less guide and more drill sargent, chanting rehearsed lines at the class. It\u2019s hard to follow, too fast and the positions are just really difficult. The instructor comes to realign a pose that I\u2019m already really struggling with. This makes me cross. I find myself internally raging for the rest of the class. There is too much instruction, too much to think about and my mind does anything but switch off. I can\u2019t wait for the class to finish.<\/p>\n
When it does, I flee for the pool, really feeling the doom of what I\u2019ve signed up to. The second I\u2019m in the pool, I can focus \u2013 in a way I haven\u2019t for years. I have so much on my mind, but after a 30-minute swim I\u2019ve recalibrated my whole life, I have a plan and my brain is now sharper than Peter Cook\u2019s wit. This is what I expected from yoga. Maybe tomorrow will be a better day?<\/p>\n
It isn\u2019t. I choose Yin yoga this time as it\u2019s slow and meditative. I\u2019m sore from the day before so all stretching is painful, but this is officially the worst exercise class I have ever done. You hold fewer poses for longer periods of time. Three to ten minutes in the same position. But this is like dog years. A minute of yoga-time extends infinitely. I fold into (allegedly) a gentle stretch. By three minutes I\u2019m bargaining with God. After five my hip flexors are squealing their last will and testament. The teacher repeats: \u201cSurrender to the pose\u201d. This isn\u2019t yoga \u2013 it\u2019s a hostage situation with my hamstrings. I hate it. I\u2019ve had enough, and I leave seething.<\/p>\n
Again, it\u2019s my 30-minute swim that drags me out of my terrible mood and into a brilliant mindset. <\/p>\n
I give it a rest for a few days. I\u2019m in too much pain to even walk. This says more about me than the campaign trail I\u2019m trying to sustain. Friday comes round and I force myself into hot yoga. I didn\u2019t read the small print. It goes on for an extra half an hour. I\u2019ve melted into a puddle of sweat. Every extremity is wobbling. I am truly close to passing out.<\/p>\n
I carry this on for another week, but I am miserable. I can now categorically say that yoga is not chill and nor are the people who commit to it.<\/p>\n
So, I do something that I never do when I follow an ambition. I sack it off. I now go to spin or do body pump 2-3 times a week and I swim 5 days.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the best decision I\u2019ve ever made. Not only is swimming a brilliant cardiovascular exercise, but there is also a lot of evidence that it outshines yoga in meditative mind and body regulation. One large study, published in the Journal of Aquatic Research and Education in 2008, followed 40,000 people over 32 years and found that swimmers had lower mortality rates than most other forms of exercise. Sure, you don\u2019t get the flexibility you get through yoga, but the mental health benefits are arguably stronger.<\/p>\n
Of course it\u2019s horses for courses, but the inner truth is that my yoga journey has revealed is that I hate yoga. However, this month has also shown me that I love swimming. So while I might not have got there along the path I intended, I feel I am well on my way towards my ambition of better health and improved peace of mind. And honestly, I think swimmer bods are pretty banging too.<\/p>\n
Your next read<\/p>\n
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