ARE you one of those people who tends to take yourself a little too seriously, or who worries about what others might think of you?
Does the prospect of trying something new bring you out in a cold sweat?
I may just have the 'kill or cure' solution.
It was after committing to signing up for High Life Highland's hugely successful Move It to Lose It six-week challenge that it occurred I'd better step-up the exercise side of things a bit to avoid complete humiliation. Little did I realise humiliation was just around the corner anyway.
Hundreds of you across Ross-shire have signed up to the same pre-Christmas challenge, which involves regular fitness classes and weekly weigh-ins.
Accompanying my wife to one or two of the classes she has started attending seemed like a step in the right direction. And that's how I found myself in the saddle of a (stationary) exercise bike for a Spinning class.
It essentially involves pedalling like mad under various degrees of resistance to a thumping soundtrack under instruction from a super-fit class leader. It's pretty straightforward and, unlike some classes, lots of men do it. Needless to say I was a quivering wreck after 55 minutes of this carry-on.
So far, so good...
Next came something called "core conditioning". I gather a slight variation on the theme goes under the name "bums and tums", the latter a class few men would be seen dead in. Core conditioning involves lots of stomach-churning sit-ups. I'd place it under the "brutal but effective" category. If the prospect of a press-up leaves you shaking like a giddy schoolgirl, it's probably best avoided. Either that or take a place at the back of the class where it's possible to hide.
Given the whole idea was to venture outside my comfort zone, I was feeling vaguely proud of myself at this point.
And so it seemed only right and proper to have a crack at something called Body Attack. In the mists of time I recalled doing something called Body Combat, which involved feigning punches and kicks, again to an upbeat soundtrack. Once you got the hang of it, it was okay and leaves you in pools of sweat. This sounded pretty similar.
Noticing the look of unease on my face on realising there were no other men in the class, my wife, also making her debut, had a quiet word with the instructor, Jill, to enquire as to whether this was a "girly" workout. Not of a bit of it, she was assured. It was a great all-round high-energy workout which more men should try. The gauntlet not so much laid down as thwacked across my face, what else to do but give it a go? Bad move...
There's a book called Men are from Mars, Women are From Venus. I've never read it but gather the gist is that women and men are as different as beings from different planets. It has sold seven million copies so presumably the author's on to something.
My woeful lack of co-ordination saw me heading time and again in the opposite direction to everyone else as Jill issued her instructions. This despite the fact it was simply a case of copying her. I'd find myself facing the back wall of the studio when everyone else was facing the instructor. And vice-versa.
I watched in wonder as everyone else (that is, all the women) followed instructions effortlessly, broad smiles on their faces. There were synchronised hand claps, jumps and mysterious little shuffles. All were beyond me. The strange thing is that after that initial wave of horror the sure knowledge that you're out of your depth in the wrong place at the wrong time, and out of time into the bargain I started to see the funny side. I could see myself in the mirror and I looked ridiculous. But you know what? The world continued to turn, everyone else carried on regardless and Jill even shot me the occasional encouraging smile.
It was going to be a very long 55 minutes... but it was going to be okay.
