To My Body, With Love

Ever since we moved to the suburbs last winter, I have found excuse after excuse to turn in to an inactive blob. When I lived down on the Plaza, I made it a priority to work out at least a few times a week. Even if it was just a walk to Loose Park while pushing the 50lb stroller + kid and dragging along the appropriately lazy Rottweiler, I would at least do something. It didn’t hurt that right down the street was a good friend who loved to go on long walks or to the gym. And without this proper motivation, I have tended to melt in to my couch after a long day at work.

Since we moved during the winter, I first used the excuse that it was too cold to go running or for long walks outside. Plus, now we had a big backyard, so the dog didn’t need an hour-long walk everyday. Also, I was now in charge of all the daycare arrangements, and Trent was spending more time commuting, so it was rare that I could get time away until Lu went to bed, which, let’s face it, was about the time I needed to settle in for a nice evening with Chuck and Pacey Whittaker Peter Bishop from Fringe.

At one point, Trent bought a self-propelled treadmill and I would try to use it in the mornings before work. But then we got a new bed and it’s comfortable-ness drug me back under the covers instead of to the cold basement to do my daily 30 minutes of running.

See? Excuses.

So after finding reasons throughout the spring and summer to keep me away from my weekly workouts (too hot! it’s raining! too tired! work is too busy!), and getting some encouragement from my more disciplined friends, I finally marched my squishy butt to the local YMCA and joined. So far I’ve worked out a few times and added a weekly yoga class to my regimen. And how am I feeling? Right now I’m still getting used to moving my body again, and my body is certainly retaliating. After a particularly hard yoga session last night (taught by a pregnant woman who was 3x more in shape than I am…) my shoulders and quads are begging, nay pleading for me to return to the couch.

But if I can just ignore them a bit longer, I know it will be worth it.

And if not, Chuck will be back in the winter, so I can just spend my evenings with him. And some lowfat popcorn.