Fighting fit … Lee Horton has a crush on his new training partner. We are guessing the life buoy ring is there in case he risks drowning in sweat!
‘Covid-19 has taken one great love from my life, so there’s room for another’
By LEE HORTON – Squash Mad Lockdown Fitness Expert
Finding new friends during lockdown has been tough, but I’ve struck gold with a new bestie who has most definitely put the spring back into my step.
It’s great getting someone to help you stay fit, focussed and well away from the scourge of all squash players…the fridge. Merlot Furlough is all well and good, but there has to be limits.
Good footwork! Lee finds an outdoor space for some ghosting
My new, trusty pal is brutally honest, a slightly dated pillar in these spicy times, but it works for us. There’s no sugar coating the truth. In fact, there’s no sugar at all thanks to a strict set of rules laid down by my new companion. Disciplinarian comes to mind. Masochist also crosses the lexicon.
How did we meet? Well, it was almost meant to be. I was lonely, lacking focus, in need of direction and missing the sort of company that invariably puts a smile on your face. Covid-19 had taken one great love from my life, so there was room for another.
I’m told, swiping left on a computer screen has unearthed many an exciting experience, so I thought I’d give it a go. But dalliances and whims seldom come cheap, so hard cash was needed.
With £125 on the hip, the search began for some fun and games. With businesses in the UK closed, this was going to be an internet transaction that needed diligent research. It’s surprising what pops up on the screen when you type in “hot and sweaty workouts”. Strange people out there, it appears.
My quarry was less exotic than some services on offer, particularly when I specified flexible wrist action, but I soon found what I was looking for. Slim, black, reliable, robust, stylish and most importantly, waterproof.
Yes, the new Fitbit Charge 4 was a game-changer.
It counts my calories, monitors my ticker, knows when I am sleeping, sets targets, tracks my movements (no, not those) and has been this old squasher’s best pal since the lock down. Who’d have thunk?
Wearable devices, or sports trackers, are manna from heaven for wellness junkies and obsessives. I’m one of them and these things work for me.
Whatever the psychology, I am more disciplined with diet and training sessions when obeying the almighty data cruncher. It’s a powerful master (mistress, surely? Ed) that can drive you to put in 10 more court sprints, another 20 burpees or one more lap around the block to clock up a thousand more steps.
I’m not suggesting this passive, obedience thing is mentally nourishing, but it certainly keeps the bathroom scales happy for now. I’ll take that as I keep the wheels turning ahead of a return to a squash court. Sadly, my Fitbit has no data on when that might be.
PS: No freebies, inducements or backhanders were offered as an incentive to write this article (sadly).
Posted on May 3, 2020
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