Weather, work bars to fitness

By REBECCA WALSH

At the end of a long day at work the last thing Niluka Vitanachy wants to do is go to the gym.

"I just want to go home, watch TV and go to bed," the 29-year-old insurance broker said, relaxing during her lunch break.

A gym-goer before the Christmas holidays got in the way, Miss Vitanachy has good intentions for the year ahead but says work pressures make fitting in regular exercise difficult.

"I was going to the gym in the morning but because I live out west I used to have to leave home at 6am. That put me off. I don't like going during lunchtime because you come back to work all sweaty."

Time - or the lack of it - is a common reason given by people for doing too little exercise. Lack of child care and even Auckland's hot weather also get in the way.

Lisa Norling, 25, who is moving back to Wellington next month, said it was "too hot to do anything" and by the time it was cool enough to go running it was dark.

"I don't feel safe on my own. If my partner was coming then that would be okay."

Alan Chesterman, 58, fits in a walk to the waterfront or around the streets of Auckland most lunch times and a bike ride once a week.

He is happy with his exercise level but said a lot of people talked about time and tiredness preventing them doing as much exercise as they would like.

For Karen Warren, 28, work commitments and looking after 2-year-old daughter Pania prevent her keeping up a daily fitness regime.

The Wellington woman works full-time as a pre-school teacher and said if her gym provided after-work childcare she would probably manage to go more often.

"It's finding the time to fit it in."

It seems Mt Eden man Patrick Smith, 56, has one solution. He cycles into the city each day where he works as a storeman.

"My work is physically demanding. I don't work out at a gym because I don't need to."