Fit: Canadian Rhythmic Gymnast Alexandra Orlando The Olympics are over, and now I have to go back to watching Girls of the Playboy mansion, it's just not the same. I've enjoyed watching the Olympics, and not just because it's a bloody good excuse to check out some lovely bodies in very little clothing (and the amazing show of fitness and sportsmanship etc.). I am a firm believer in the passive exercise effect. Just like being near someone smoking can give you cancer, watching sport can have great fitness benefits. My heart rate was up during the women's high jump and I am convinced there were a few loose muscles belonging to our gentleman readers getting firmer during the diving finals. Competitive sports teaches us many things and today I thought I'd share a bit of how the spirit of the Olympics can be slipped into your every day exercise sessions. Gosh, aren't I nice. You can be in such awesome shape that you can complete a marathon in sauna like temperatures in under 2 and a half hours but your thighs will still wobble when you run. Stop worrying about what you look like and spend more time focusing on what you can achieve. You're not in Beijing now Dorothy, if you don't like showing your wobbly bits in public when you exercise wear tights! Gay Olympians can win a gold medal in the pool. If you aren't gay then you might get 8. Okay there's nothing I really learnt from that but it is too much of a fabulously sensational headline with really no purpose or substance I just had to throw it in there. If you go out in a fancy outfit in every day life it's called drag, if you wear the same outfit at the Olympics it's called gymnastics. It's ALWAYS about the outfit and almost anything goes as long as you can move in it. But next time girls- save the sequined leotards for after dark. You can smash a world record but the guy in front of you will still get the gold. There is always going to be someone better than you, be the bigger person, congratulate him or her on their physical effort and continue to work at your own pace. Besides, when your coming up behind you get a better view of his butt. The size of the balls you are playing will make a difference to how long you can play with them. I swear the chicks throwing 4kg shot-puts looked like they were putting less effort in than the table tennis dudes with their 5gm ball. Obviously it takes pingponging types longer to bring their event to its climax so they need all the weight advantages they can get! For folks at home choose your weight size when working out based on how long you are intending to work at it. The longer the exercise, the lighter the weight. Watching the Olympics raised one question for me though... How is it that lesbians are so often in the handball teams? How do they get enough practice handling balls to be good enough to go to the Olympics? Julz Darroch is a Wellington-based Personal Trainer and Fitness Educator who uses her 15 years experience in the fitness industry as an excuse to regularly torture Steve Gray and the Good Morning team live on TVOne each Tuesday. Send your fitness-related questions and personal training enquiries to julzdarroch@actrix.co.nz . Julz Darroch - 30th August 2008