Monday 8th December 2014
by Kay Adkins

Wow, things have chilled down outside a little this week! Winter is definitely nibbling at my fingers but this has not put me off my quest for greater fitness, in fact it has driven me outside with my aging but faithful training companion, Jack (the Russell) to walk and shuffle along.



It is a well-known fact that having somebody to train with is motivational and whilst I am not advocating that you just pop out and buy yourself a dog purely for this purpose, you may want to consider finding a friend or a training buddy which will help you get you out there.

It is true that if you plan to do exercise with a friend or others you are much more likely to stay with it - I bet you can be heard muttering to yourself when you get in from work or college, "I don't fancy going out in the dark, cold night ... I won't go ... actually I will because I will let Julie down if I don't" (I'm not sure who 'Julie' is but eh!) and at that point you can be found pulling on your sports gear. You probably need the exercise just as much as 'Julie' but somehow in your head, her health is more important to you and that gets you out of that door.

Sometimes you may not have a friend to go with ('Julie' has let you down!) but the thought of facing that exercise session with others also makes it more palatable and there are lot of classes around where you can join in with fellow sufferers.

I am quite fancying having a go at Soccercise, a new fitness class in The Hub which is designed for women. They tell me having a ball makes it much more fun and takes your mind of the exercise bit!

By the time I chat to you again, I will have had a few days away in Scotland - sadly not skiing - so I suspect my training regime will fall away a little as my octogenarian Aunt (the reason for the visit) will no doubt try to feed me up and ensure I rest as much as possible!

However, all is not lost because, on Monday 1st December (how scary is that?) I start an online fitness programme, 'The Countdown to Xmas Challenge', with 'The Fat Girls Guide to Running' website which I hope will keep me focused through that very dangerous time of the year in which we can all be heard to say, "Ahh I won't bother with my swim today" or "I ate too much to run anywhere" or even worse, "My head hurts too much to move it from the pillow never mind put it onto the treadmill!"

If you have started to do a bit of something alongside me, then don't lose focus now - remember I need friends to exercise with me just as much as you do and I am counting on you! I am off to the Spireites Sport & Health Club now for a swift 30 minutes on the treadmill - hopefully I will see you in there??

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Kay Adkins (left), is the Chief Operating Officer of Chesterfield FC Community Trust and oversees the work of The Hub and the Sport and Activity outreach programme.

She was a volunteer at London 2012 at the cycling events and is a cycling and triathlon coach, when time permits.

Kay studied at Leeds Carnegie and Loughborough Universities and she has been involved in the Sport Industry all of her life.

She has travelled the world during her career, including being a Team Manager at two World Equestrian Games and a coach at two European Championships.

She is, however, a born and bred North Derbyshire girl and a Spireite through and through!

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