It became a regular thing, that I’d workout early around 6am for an hour and celebrate the effort with a sauna along with my gym-mates. The routine certainly guaranteed that I would have a strong start to the day, feeling healthy, pumped, while also relaxed and ready to take on the world. After all, my friends and I benefited from the body’s ‘feel-good’ chemicals, oxytocin and dopamine, naturally released when you exercise.
As I said, the bonus was the sauna session. A time-out, where up to eight of us would open-up and chat about their accomplishments yesterday and the challenges they had coming up today. Ironic it is that us guys are known to keep things close to our chest and to be reluctant to share difficulties and feelings. But it soon became apparent that the sauna was a special place. While sitting there, clad in only our towels, sweat dripping in the heat, somehow it became ‘acceptable’ to share some of our inner-most thoughts.
One mate John, talked about the difficulties he was struggling with in having a daughter hooked on meth. The others quietly listened. Another, opened up about his habit of waking each night at 1am and in not going back to sleep. We listened because we cared, and where we could, offered ideas and suggestions. I’m sure that the girl’s sauna provides a secure space for similar, open sharing and heart-felt discussions.
SWEAT THERAPY – is the theme of Club Physical’s six-week gym usage challenge. The event draws attention to the benefits of working-out with others, in groups, like BOXING, XRIDE, PILATES, FLEX and X45 and also for those with a PERSONAL TRAINER. It’s so very good for you to have others to interact with, to chat and to laugh with.
To be involved YOU simply ask for a SWEAT THERAPY card at reception and after every ‘group session’ you do, ask reception to mark it off. Every time you complete a full card (ten group workouts) you pop your card in the glass jar at reception. And for every card completed, Club Physical will donate one-dollar to one of the most helpful support organisations we could find, ANXIETYNZ.
And of course, YOU will go into the draw for some healthy prizes!!
Meanwhile, something weird happened in the steam-room…..
This week’s newsletter can be found here
