Greg O'Shea: Making fitness fun and sustainable 

It's important to make time for exercise, but you also need to take a break, allowing your body to rest and recover, says Olympian Greg O'Shea  

Greg O'Shea. Photograph Moya Nolan

Over the past three weeks, we’ve pushed through a high-intensity fat-burning circuit, picked up the dumbbells for a total-body, muscle-building workout, and grabbed the kettlebells to tone up. This week, we’re focusing on rest and recovery — an often overlooked but crucial part of any fitness journey.

I am a big believer in making fitness fun and sustainable, and to keep it that way, you have to give yourself a break. When you’ve done the work, it’s important to allow yourself that cheat meal, the night out with a few drinks, a weekend away from the gym. As I’ve said throughout my four weeks writing this column, you don’t have to be a soldier. You’re allowed to enjoy yourself, and you’ve earned it.