he number fact in this week’s Living Well (page 64) gave me pause for thought. Apparently, studies show that lifting a dumbbell just six times a day, five days a week, can I wondered, thinking of all the sweat, and membership fees, I’ve put into getting stronger since I first took classes seven years ago. Truth is, though, while I’m definitely able to carry my shopping bags home from the supermarket with less of a struggle, I’m still a million miles away from being able to do a pull-up or professional plank. But then I remembered I joined the gym in the first place. New to Sydney, I didn’t know many people, so I signed up to my local gym to get out of the house. And it worked a treat! There, I found lots of people of all ages who were there for the camaraderie and mental boost as much as any muscle building. It’s something we really missed during lockdowns, greeting each other with excited smiles at the first classes back. But I heard one of my favourite ever reasons for working out last weekend when I visited a friend. Her mum is an Aussie, but lives in the UK and was due to arrive for her first visit since the pandemic – and can’t wait to see her toddler granddaughter. ‘Mum’s been going to the gym, training to lift 12-kilo weights,’ my friend told me. It took me a second to realise the link. But when the penny dropped, I was so touched to think of her mum putting in all those hours so she could scoop her granddaughter into a cuddle and carry her around. Do you have a special reason for exercising? Let us know!
