How do you find the right balance in life?
Everything seems to be a compromise all of the time. One of the questions I get asked all the time is training with jewellery on – mostly we get the question from the newly engaged.
As avid (when properly motivated by #wellnessinmotionlindfield, #johannahcolesupertrainer) gym visitors, I like to leave my ring on (call it a primal urge to seem more manly by looking like I do physical stuff sometimes). I personally can’t train with watches on – I tried with an apple watch for a while but did not enjoy the feel of sweat getting caught underneath, or the restriction on my arms.
For many years I wore three pearls (representing my three daughters) on a leather necklace and would take that off for a workout (also because pearls are delicate and over time react to perfumes and sweat). Basically personally I am taking off everything but rings and putting on a pair of training gloves)
If you are going to take your Jewellery off, you need to keep it safe. We always recommend having Jewellery insured and recommend Q report qreport.com – an online portal you can create a policy, your jewellery is insured worldwide, choice of Jewellers to go to they keep it updated so no need to get valuations updated, they only insure Jewellery so all you need to do is pay the premium (monthly or annually) I find them much cheaper and critically if you ever do need to put in a claim about a million times easier to deal with……but back to keeping your Jewellery safe if you take it off. The obvious checklist if you are getting changed at the gym, is whether anyone watching you take it off and put it in your gym bag, is your gym bag in a locked locker or in an open shelf. If your workplace is safer then leave it there, but the motivation after a training session to return is for most people greatly diminished.
On the other hand, there is the leave it on. For some gym equipment and mat work, there won’t be a problem. A pair of good quality leather gloves is enough, or for rings attaching them to a necklace. A lot of women’s activewear has mobile phone pockets or inside back pockets for cash or cards. These can be fine as well depending on the training you are doing. Lying on your back on a mat with a ring sticking it won’t be very comfortable – and then creating the habit to remember to take your Jewellery off, put it in your pocket and then remembering to take it out and put it back on takes some time (I’ve heard a few stories of Jewellery going through the wash in active wear……wasn’t so good for the activewear)
It is really important to remember that diamond is one of the hardest substances on earth, and everything else is soft in comparison. Diamonds can take a fair amount of knocking around, gold and platinum are soft in comparison – when a diamond gets hit it generally knocks the setting in and pushes it/chips a bit of metal away. Quick test if you do knock something, put it up to your ear and shake it and listen to hear if something is moving. If you notice something is loose, bring it to your jeweller and get the claws tightened.
The other thing to note is dead skin cells are what make Jewellery (especially rings) look dirty – excess sweat, hand-washing, and not adequately drying hands. Good Jewellers have an ultrasonic – a small machine that sends sound vibrations through a solution that gets built up off jewellery. Anania Family Jewellers offers free cleaning (not polish) for all of our clients (we do a quick check at the same time).
So what do you do?
Your own assessment, you know your jewellery, you know your gym and what you are going to be doing in your session – for me I always chose gyms close to home so I could go home, get changed, de-jewel and then hit the gym.
Remember Jewellery is for wearing and celebrating, live your life and wear your Jewellery!
Anania Family Jewellers
