Greetings isolators!
So, the sun’s out, the air is warm, it’s bank holiday weekend – do you fancy meeting for a few drinks in a pub gard –
– oh.
No.
Forget that.
I don’t mind telling you, I’m annoyed. Until recently, I was enjoying my most successful relationship with a gym in all my 35 years: we were seeing each other regularly, for the most part we enjoyed each other’s company, and I was leaving it aching and sweaty, all good signs of a healthy relationship. I was even starting to see results – you know, those nebulous and much-coveted results that only happen to other people, well they were starting to happen to me! Our relationship was flourishing!
And then we broke up. Not because we had an argument, or I got bored, or the gym started making unreasonable demands about wanting to see me every day, none of that. We broke up because there was a sodding pandemic.
So now I’m locked up in lockdown, but it’s okay, because according to quite a lot of people on the Internet, lockdown doesn’t have to mean my newly cultivated muscles need to melt to sludgy pockets of Malteasers and Cool Original Doritos-oomska, because I can turn my home into a luxury premium workout studio.
Except that I can’t.
Now look, I live in a studio flat. I can reach all parts of my flat in three strides – and I’m talking modest strides, I’m not talking I-just-paid-£8.99-for-an-item-labelled-£15.99 sort of victory strides – and therefore it is not possible to execute the sort of gallopy I’ve-got-so-much-energy-and-the-space-to-accommodate-it exercise routes that are springing up online, because this happens:
And whilst I admire people’s dedication to keeping fit, I’m not sold on the increasingly inventive ways that they are suggesting we use our household items as gym equipment, such as deadlifting the piano, or doing 800 squats with the washing machine strapped to our backs – I mean, as if the emergency services don’t have enough on their plate right now?
What happened to the old ‘if you don’t have any weights at home, a couple of tins of beans will do’? We appear to have donkey-kicked our way straight past that to ‘if you don’t have any weights at home, the kitchen table will do’.
If I were to do the sort of home workout that these crazy cats are encouraging me to do, I cannot begin to imagine the carnage that would ensue from using three chairs to do push ups –
– or from using the radiator to do pull ups –
– or from using the toilet to do step-ups.
And there is another school of thought that encourages us to replace gym equipment with family members; you know, those cute videos of buff dads bench pressing their three year-olds. Well, that’s all very heartwarming – you’re working out really effectively and spending quality time with your child, you absolute winner – but what if you don’t have a three year-old?
And what if you live alone? With social distancing it’s not even acceptable to take measures that would otherwise be perfectly 100% acceptable.
SEVEN MINUTES LATER
I suppose as I don’t have any small children lying around, I could use Billy Bear and Huggy Bear as weights.
Sod all this, I’m going to turn my flat into a premium luxury Easter egg haven instead.
Stay healthy, stay home, and look after each other xx
BECKY SAYS THINGS 
I started reading your posts as I know your cousin and she posted a link to your stuff many moons ago. Love reading everything that you write – you are incredibly funny and astute. The stick figures and captions are the cherries on the top. Thank you for posting!
Ah, thank you Carrie! Do you mean Sarah?? I think I remember my cousin Sarah having a friend called Carrie?! Thank you so much, I really appreciate the lovely comment, and I’m glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
Hi Becky,
Yes – Sarah – we went to school together, and I’ve followed your blog ever since she posted a link to it aaaages ago. Love your writing style, you are honestly so funny and sharp! Especially loved your account of your travels through the US last year. Thanks for being a cheer up in these weird and uncertain times! Carrie X
I thought so! Thank you so much Carrie, it really does mean a lot!
Glad you enjoyed the US adventures! I hope you and yours are well and healthy! x
Could you fit a small, portable elliptical? It’s standing exercise, and if you get them without the handles they can slot under the bed when you’re done.
If not I totally recommend bench pressing your Grandma… or someone’s Grandma XD
Unfortunately, I think it’s Grandma, and if I think about it I think she’d slot under the bed as well. Hurrah!
Thanks for reading!
Excellent! And on the plus side you’d have company
Love it! Enjoy your Easter! xx
Thanks Hillary, you too! x
You are just too hilarious ! You made my day 🙂
Aw, thank you! Glad I made you smile. Thanks for reading! 🙂
I loved it! Relays our frustration about trying to ‘make do’ at home during this pandemic.
I know, it is super frustrating! Thanks for reading! 🙂
I think the pandemic was getting jealous of your rightous guns and decided to come between you and the gym.
Well, I wouldn’t be surprised, I mean they were something to behold.
Good to see you! 🙂
I don’t even own three chairs, so there’s that. I do have space to do exercise, just, but the dog thinks it’s great fun, especially anything that requires me to lie on the floor. Plus it turns out that if I decide to spend the whole day eating chocolate and watching crap TV, no one can do anything about it! The app doesn’t even notice! So yeah, I won’t be doing the splits in 30 days any time soon.
Bexter, what a wonderful thing this bog is! Two soups to you with you know who!
M
Oh dear, you’ve finally worked out how to comment on my blog – I wish I hadn’t told you how to do it! 🙂
Thank you Michael!
The toilet step-ups are my favorites! 😂
Thank you! 🙂