| Today, I am really stiff. My leg muscles have tightened | | | | them into the barrier gates, just as our train pulled in. |
| up to the point I don't want to move from this | | | | My autistic son was disappointed, of course, because |
| computer chair - ever! It's made me realise just how | | | | he wasn't able to watch the trains for long, but I have |
| unfit I am and here's what happened. | | | | never been more relieved to sit down in my life. It |
| My autistic son loves trains, so yesterday I decided to | | | | made me realise just how unfit I've become and I really |
| take him and his brother to a nearby city to watch a | | | | need to do something about it in view of my age. |
| circus performance. I was assured when I booked the | | | | I am currently fifty-three, not old by any stretch of the |
| tickets over the telephone it was in easy walking | | | | imagination, but once women get beyond fifty and |
| distance from the station. According to the booking | | | | start going through the menopause they are more |
| clerk, it was about three-quarters of a mile. | | | | susceptible to heart disease. |
| Clearly he didn't know the area because it was, infact, | | | | It's all to do with the hormonal changes, and apparently, |
| one and a half miles! | | | | new research has revealed in 2001,coronary heart |
| Anyway, despite it being summer, it was one of those | | | | disease (CHD) killed four times as many women in UK |
| showery days where one minute you need to wear a | | | | as breast cancer. I found that really surprising and |
| coat and the next tee shirt and sunglasses, so on | | | | worrying. How about you? |
| occasions, we ended up carrying our excess clothing. | | | | One thing you need to keep an eye on is your blood |
| The outward walk from the train station was okay | | | | pressure. High blood pressure increases the risk of |
| because we were all fresh, and there was no urgency | | | | coronary heart disease, and yet often there are no |
| to get to the circus. The tickets had been booked; we | | | | symptoms. The only way to find out if you have it is to |
| had seats and plenty of time. However, the return trip | | | | get it checked. |
| was not so pleasant. | | | | Other things to keep a watchful eye on are your |
| As it was a Sunday, there was a reduced timetable, | | | | cholesterol level and BMI (body mass index). |
| so there was a long delay between trains. As much | | | | It seems there are things you can do to safeguard |
| as I appreciate the speed and ease of trains, I don't | | | | against CHD, and these are to |
| share my son's enthusiasm for watching them. The | | | | * Quit smoking |
| prospect of spending hours on a station platform was | | | | * Reduce your alcohol consumption |
| not particularly appealing. Consequently, when the | | | | * Lose weight |
| circus performance ended, a quick scan of the train | | | | * Reduce your salt intake |
| timetable revealed if we hurried, we could make the | | | | * Cut down on added sugar |
| next train. | | | | * Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables |
| It was due to leave in half an hour and my eldest son | | | | * Take more physical exercise |
| assured me I could make it. What he failed to realise is | | | | Now only a few on that list apply to me, but my |
| I am considerably older than him, very unfit and my | | | | experience of yesterday has certainly made me |
| legs are only half as long as his. For every stride he | | | | realise how quickly I have become unfit. Sitting for |
| takes, I take two. Also, I was carrying a heavy bag | | | | hours at a computer is hardly conducive to being |
| containing money, camera, phone, programme, keys, | | | | healthy. |
| umbrella, etc., etc. | | | | I know I need to lose some weight and not just so my |
| Anyway, we route marched to the station, not even | | | | clothes will look better either. My old excuse of, "I'm not |
| stopping to allow me to catch my breath because the | | | | fat, I'm just too short for my weight" is not doing me |
| short cut we'd planned was no longer available. | | | | any favours, so instead of just giving my brain a daily |
| Thankfully, we already had our train tickets and put | | | | work out, I need to work on the rest of my body too. |