John Connolly, best-selling crime writer, tells Patricia Weston about the downside of a sedentary occupation
Do you take regular exercise? It's one of the few aspects of my life about which I can hold my head up with a little pride. I began going to a gym when I was 19 and have continued to go - with the odd lapse - ever since.
What is your gym workout?
I like doing weights. I've never been much for team sports and prefer to do my own thing, so weight training suits me perfectly. I've added spinning classes to my workouts, and I do a little swimming as well.
How often do you train?
At my best, I do three or four weights sessions each week, usually with a spinning class before or after. The routine changes when I'm away on book stuff, and it then takes a week or two to get back into it.
Is your job active or sedentary?
As a writer, my job mainly involves sitting in a chair and moving my fingers. If I didn't go to the gym, I'd end up with one of those extra strong Thora Hird chairlifts in the house, just to get me up and down the stairs.
Do you worry about your appearance?
I think everybody worries about their appearance to a degree. Generally speaking, only mad people - the kind who tie their coats with string - don't, and even then I suspect that some of them have nice string that they keep for special wear. I would hate to be very overweight, so I'm conscious of that. My father didn't lead a very healthy life and died relatively young, so I'm conscious of exercising, not smoking and watching what I eat.
Do you eat a balanced diet?
I try, but I have a weakness for coffee and wine, and I've rarely met a bun that I didn't like!
What causes you stress?
I worry a lot about the books, and I become very withdrawn when I'm trying to finish one. Even when I'm not at my desk I find that I'm thinking about it. When I'm doing publicity I always seem to be running late, as the schedules are usually a bit optimistic. The US book tours are six or seven weeks long, and involve getting a plane to a new city almost every morning. I get really rundown and it takes a week or so to recover.
How do you unwind?
Exercise really helps. I never tend to relax completely, though. It's not really in my nature. I'm always a little wound up.
What's your attitude to exercise?
I view it as a necessary evil. Frankly, actually doing it can sometimes be a bit of a chore.
Patricia Weston recommends:
A good way to prevent a weight training routine becoming a chore is to introduce pyramid training. Pyramid training involves changing your reps and weight for each set of each exercise. You start with light weights and end with heavy weights, or start heavy and end light. By changing the weight in each set, you push the body past your usual limits and engage all the muscle fibres for stronger muscles.
For example: Set 1 - do 14 reps with a light weight; set 2 - do 12 reps with medium weight; set 3 - do 10 reps with heavy weight, etc.
John Connolly's latest book, Bad Men, is published by Coronet.
Patricia Weston is an NCEHS fitness instructor, personal trainer and Pilates instructor. It is advisable to consult your GP when embarking on any exercise regime.