My prime competitive athletics (running) days were during the late 1960s and through the ’70s. For anyone who remembers The Victor comic, my training and attitude towards the sport, was very similar to that of Alf Tupper (Tough of the Track.)

One of my fellow club members when I joined Garscube Harriers was an older guy who amongst several other international honours, would represent Great Britain at the 1972 Olympics. Les Piggot was his name. Obviously, he was a very, very talented sprinter. He trained mega-hard to reach this level … and he also smoked cigarettes!

Now, I didn’t smoke, but my diet left, and still does, a lot to be desired. But there wasn’t all the sports science around in those days – nobody got on my case to say I’d be an even better athlete if I ate such-and-such.

No, I / we all got away with it because we trained SO hard. We’d run until we were sick, count to ten, take a deep breath, and start another five repetition sprints or whatever. Our unofficial training mantra was to run till we dropped – then squeeze one rep more in!

It may sound horrific nowadays, and it’d certainly be frowned upon by any self-respecting coach, but fortunately, we all loved it!

I have to honestly say, it was most fun way for me to exercise! (OK, I didn’t know any other way, but it held no fears for me, and fifty-plus years later, I was still training that way at Circuit Training and my road runs.)

Then I had a cardiac arrest! 😀 😀 😀 However, my hard training had nothing to do with it, said the consultants. It was totally idiopathic. In fact, Had I not been so fit, I wouldn’t have survived.

Anyway, I digress. For me, the most fun way to exercise is through a good, old-fashioned ‘beasting.’

But I know I can’t risk that anymore. And neither would many people reading this want to try it. I can understand that. So here’s an alternative means of having fun while exercising: dance!

Now, I’m still a way better runner than dancer, so I’ll generally close the blinds to prevent my neighbours gawping at the old fool bouncing around his office. I’ll turn the volume up on my amplifier and place a record on the turntable.

In the past, for this, some vintage Rock ‘n’ Roll or 1980s Rockabilly would be my ‘go to’ music for a bop. I still do, but more often now, I’ll reach for some loud ska punk or skinhead reggae and have a good ol’ skank around the room.

Skanking involves lots of bouncing, twisting, bending, arm and should der movement and really, just an overall body workout. The louder the music, the louder I can also sing without hearing myself.

This all works much better with a couple of beers or three – even more fun! 😉

See? The spirit of Alf Tupper still lives on!