When the refurbishment of a council-run fitness centre within walking distance of The Northern Echo’s offices was announced, gym-shy journalists shuffled uncomfortably as the offer of free taster sessions was made. With his forthcoming wedding in mind, Andy Walker took the bait... 

THE first thing that strikes you, apart from the freshly-painted newness of the place, is the atmosphere.

People actually talk to each other at the newly-refurbished Dolphin Centre gym, in Darlington, which is not always the case at some expensive private health clubs.

Gyms in so-called swankier surroundings, places with monogrammed sweat towels and little bottles of shampoo in the showers, can be intimidating to some people.

There’s none of that at the Dolly, though, where a real broad spectrum of the community comes through the doors each day – all generations, all levels of fitness and otherwise.

Which is where I come in. There’s no mystery as to why the editor, himself a Dolphin Centre gym user, chose me for this particular assignment: there’s more room for improvement in my own fitness levels than those of most of my colleagues.

Alarm bells had started to ring on the day the gym re-opened earlier this month, following a four-week refurbishment.

Myself and a photographer were being shown around the updated facilities, when the boss interrupted his lunchtime workout to tell the member of staff showing us round: “We want you to make him suffer, mind.”

And so, less than a week later, I found myself in a consultation room with personal trainer Michael Hodgson, having various measurements taken at the start of the centre’s Get Results programme, offered to members who have a specific goal in mind.

Mine is weight loss, as I don’t fancy looking like a sack of turnips in a suit in my wedding photos. We’ve yet to set a date, so there’s plenty time for these gym sessions to, hopefully, have some benefit.

That initial weigh-and-measure session with Michael confirmed that weight loss is definitely a good idea for me, but he explained that the scales might not show a great deal of downward momentum at first, as muscle weighs more than fat and the resistance weights he’s got me using will increase my muscle mass. Assuming I’m doing it properly, of course.

A person’s body fat percentage serves as a more reliable indicator of their fitness than their actual weight, said Michael, and my percentage is admittedly way too high.

Michael has set me off with a programme of weights, cardio vascular exercises and stretches, with the aim of reducing that overall body fat percentage in the first three weeks.

That was two weeks ago, so there will be a checkpoint coming up soon.

Early sessions have been encouraging and, predictably, knackering. Previously, I’d go into a gym and trot along on a treadmill for 20 minutes, do a bit on a cross trainer and call it a day – the weights areas were largely uncharted territory. No more.

I’m aiming to complete three sessions a week, one of which is under Michael’s watchful eye.

I’ll be writing a warts-and-all blog charting the ups and downs of my progress over the coming months. Click here to follow my progress