A Page from My Fitness Journal

Day 1

Well it’s been a fun Monday morning as usual, but it’s lunchtime now, time for fitness class. Luckily, the class is just downstairs – there’s no way I’d go if I had to drive. Today is low impact cardio and weight training – just enough to give you a good workout without making you too sweaty to be able to go back to work. The class is led by a retiree who tailors his class to be ergonomically comfortable. I have learned that bicep curls are just as effective with the palms facing in and no stress on the wrists as they are with palms facing up. His combination of aerobics, strength training and brain teasers is a workout for mind and body, with emphasis on balance and coordination as well as tightening muscles. It starts the week off with an energy boost and I come back to work a little more mentally alert…and the endorphins are nice, too!

Day 2

Tuesday lunch is time to de-stress and work out the soreness from yesterday with yoga. At first, I wasn’t interested in yoga – all that “flow with the energy of the universe” stuff sounded more like a goofy cult than an exercise. As it turns out, yoga is a great workout – and all the stretching helps the muscles to recover. No weights or equipment, so the only thing you’re working against is you. It’s a very internal process of seeing what your body can do, what it can’t do, and what it might be able to do if you try. Yoga stays interesting because your abilities and limitations shift every time you practice it. Plus, you get a nap at the end! What? I wasn’t supposed to fall asleep during meditation? Oops.

Well, the day is over…and now it’s time for Bootcamp! This one hour, high intensity class was started by a coworker exercising alone and just evolved from there. The small class setting makes us push ourselves harder than we would alone – and there is a wide selection of routines, equipment and videos to ensure that there is always something different to do. We improve strength, balance and cardio health, and it’s kind of a nice ego boost to feel yourself getting stronger. Actually, it’s an ego boost to still be standing by 6 o’clock.

Day 3

It’s Wednesday, and the fitness instructor has called to say he has a flat tire and can’t make it; a coworker suggests we take a walk instead – after all, there’s a park across the street. It’s a rare opportunity to get outside and enjoy the day…and a chance to catch up on gossip at the same time! 2 ½ miles later, we’re back and only slightly sweaty. The walk has loosened up the stiff calf muscles from yesterday’s Insanity video, and the tired shoulders from slumping at a desk all morning. Now, it’s off to the cafeteria to grab some lunch and then back to work.

Day 4

Nope. Sorry. Sitting back and doing nothing today. Ahhh!

Day 5

Friday is finally here! There is no class at lunch today, so we gather and pop in a DVD instead. Ooo, advanced yoga! For the next hour, we alternate between attempting the poses, laughing at ourselves and debating whether the instructor on the screen is a contortionist, or if the set was filmed in zero gravity. Even though we can’t keep up with the expert who is in full lotus position while balancing on one hand, we do our best and are sometimes surprised by how close we can come. These Friday sessions are a sneak peek at what we might be able to do one day, and we start our weekend with a sense that we can accomplish anything.

Day 6

OK, technically my fitness regime extends to the weekend, but weekends are supposed to be fun, so none of this “push until you drop” stuff. On my own time, with no one to hold me accountable, I need to do something I enjoy, or I won’t do it. Oh, here’s a DVD I haven’t used for a while. Close the curtains, put on my hip scarf and it’s time for belly-dancing! Don’t let the costumes fool you – an hour of dancing is an intense cardio workout as well as a great way to tone muscle. It’s just more fun to exercise if you can jingle while you do it!

Day 7

I’m fortunate to have a friend who lives within bicycling distance – just a couple of miles away. Bike riding weather is almost over – it’ll be too hot by July, but by then the pool will be open. My pool time starts off as swimming laps, but despite my best intentions, it soon devolves into playing. If there is a better place to be than underwater, I don’t know where it is. Even though I’m not going for broke, I’ll still go home tired and hungry.

By the end of an average week, I’ve worked all of my major muscle groups, stretched, learned something new, encouraged and been encouraged by my classmates, increased my energy level, burned calories and improved my self-esteem. Well, what do you know? When did exercise become a treat?