Sarah Billson, 42, went from an occassional gym user to a workout devotee after turning 40
I didn’t want to be fat and 40, and that motivated me to get fit, it isn’t cheap thought – I belong to two gyms because I was a member of one, then joined a running club that’s based at another. They cost me £90 a month each, I also spend around £50 a month on exercise kit and I did a week-long ‘New You Boot Camp’, which cost £1,850. But the financial outlay is part of the reason I’m still exercising- it’s what gets me to the gym when I’d rather stay in bed. I’m lucky as I run my own business consulancy and can fit my workouts around my clients, although it means doing classes at 6:30am and running at 9pm.
A few years ago, I’d just drink coffee at the gym while my son went to a sports class. Now I still drink coffee, but it’s with my running club friends after a ten mile jog on a Saturday morning. We also do a mid-week training session. All the other gym, where my husband Patrick is also a member, I do three spinning classes, a bodypump class and a pilates session each week, so I do a workout every day. I did lose weight ritually when I bgan my routine, but now it’s more about stopping everything from going South. The first 3 weeks were the hardest, but I made it through that barrier and now I love how fit I feel. I even ran the London Marathon in 2009 and 2010.
Doing the bootcamp was the kick-start that I needed to start working out again. I did so many shuttle runs- short sprints between two markers- that I thought I was going to be sick. It was worth every penny though. I can easilt sit on the sofa and endlessly devour chocolate, so I need a good incentive to go to the gym- now, missing a run costs me the equivalent of £12.
Getting fit has changed my diet too. Patrick and I buy our fruit and vegetables from a farm shop now, and good meat from a local butcher, although we still have our ‘naught drawer’ for treats. We’re trying to cut down on that because eating well means we have more energy to exercise. It’s about how you want to spend your money, really- and I’d rather go to a class with Patrick than the pub.’
