Paradigm Shift

I used to be one of those people that hated any kind of very physical activity. I hated exercise. I hated to sweat. I hated that feeling of muscles burning and my heart pumping and my lungs aching. Ok I still don't really love that feeling. But this summer I decided that I needed to get out of the house more, and to get active. I checked out the local YMCA and was very impressed, so I joined. With childcare for only $1 a hour I thought this was a great way to get a small dose of "Me" time.

I walked in and signed up for an appointment with a trainer, and the trainer on duty was a nice chick named Faith who showed me how to use the elliptical machines. At first it kicked my ass and I couldn't stay on for even 10 minutes. So I jumped over to the treadmill. But I came back the next day and tried again, and again, and within a few days I saw why Faith preferred the elliptical over the treadmill, especially with my bad knees. Then I had my official appointment with trainer Sean and he showed me how to use the weights. He handed me a blank workout chart and said "Do 12 reps of each weight machine, then 20-30 minutes of cardio, five days a week." I figured out that I could do all that and get a quick shower in under an hour, so I did it EVERY morning.

Then my husband joined and I learned that it might be better to do two sets of reps. And Faith showed me some floor excercises that work the abs and back better than the machines. I tried all the different cardio machines too, switching it up from day to day to keep myself challenged. I noticed results right away, and it kept me coming, six days a week (no childcare on Sundays). A new season of classes started and I signed up for yoga, pilates, and aerobics. Now I am a total addict. I didn't go to the gym for a week because of my trip and I feel yucky. I don't know how I ever lived without exercise before. I just hit a big milestone.

It's hard to see in these pictures but the first date on the log is 7/19, the day I started weight lifting, about a week after I joined. Even though the cardio section isn't completely filled out I know I always did at least 20 minutes of cardio after I lifted. This is the front and back of one sheet, and it doesn't include all the classes I took. I filled out the last space on 10/7 and now I get to start a new log.

Who knew I had this in me? Certainly not me. If it weren't for my knees I probably would train for a distance run. A year ago that would have seemed like the stupidest idea on the planet.