Kosiwa

Occupational therapist Kosiwa never saw herself as ‘a gym person’ but she has grown to love it. With a stressful job and a need for release, the gym has become a key part of her routine.

I’ve never been a gym person. I enjoyed exercise but going to the gym was a bit scary for me. Being in a setting where everyone – or you think everyone – knows what they’re doing is daunting. It just wasn’t my cup of tea.

But I decided I needed to do something so I joined the gym anyway. For at least 9 months all I did was go to classes. I didn’t feel confident accessing the weights and cardio areas. I would walk to the studio, do my class, and go. That was it until my friend joined in January and we started going together.

Going with my friend made me so much more confident. I started learning about new machines and things that I never would have done previously.

I now have a nice routine and go a few times a week after work. Doing something active at the end of the day breaks it up and then I can come home and chill out. I feel positive afterwards. It releases the endorphins and I think ‘yeah I’m really proud I’ve done that’.

Mixing it up stops me getting bored. As well as going to the gym, I go on nice walks to the forest, and I’ve learnt to ride a bike. My husband and I even bought a kayak!

I guess I’ve always enjoyed sport but not always necessarily been actively engaged in it. But now I’ve found my love of the gym and it’s part of my routine.