Step

After an entirely too long sabbatical from the gym, I decided last week to actually start using that little membership card that has been stuffed in the back of my wallet. I started out slowly...a mile of walking on the treadmill followed by a few weight machines and then some stretching. *Yawn* After two days of this boring routine, I decided to try getting back into some of the aerobic classes that I once enjoyed.

I chose BodyStep for my "re-entry" into the world of fitness. I chose wisely. BodyStep is like a step aerobics class "stepped up" a notch. Each song has a kind of theme. One song is the "party track", another is the "speed step track", and so on. It is much harder (at least for me) than a regular step aerobics class, but the fun songs and silly dance moves distract me enough to be able to keep going.

After four classes in one week, I'm hooked. Going to these classes fulfills so many needs for me:
1) The need to be social. (People actually remembered me from six months ago!)
2) The need to dance. Tim still refuses to take dance classes with me, and you have to be somewhat coordinated to do well in the quick pace of a BodyStep class.
3) The need to sweat. Okay, it's probably all of those wonderful endorphins that actually feel so good- but when I've finished a class and I can actually see the sweat dripping down my neck, I feel so accomplished!

Sadly, my favorite class is at 5:05 p.m. which cuts into family dinner time. I have a feeling that I will be trying a lot of new crockpot recipes so that I can leave the kids with Tim without feeling too guilty about not being in the kitchen.

Yesterday, I was having an awful day. November seems to drag on and on for me every year, and I was feeling rather down. I begged Tim to let me go to the evening class. I arrived just on time, water bottle in hand, my now-short hair pinned back so it wouldn't get in my eyes. I rounded the corner, so eager to get started, and stopped short. The class was full. Full. People were crammed into every possible nook in one enormous room. I checked again- and received several pitying looks and a wave or two. I nearly burst into tears. I waved back, bit my lip, and turned on my heels, making my way down to the depressing cardio area with the gray, whirring machines. I couldn't do it. The dreariness of exercising by myself was too much for me to handle.

I went home, moped around for thirty minutes, and must have looked completely miserable because Tim said," Um, maybe you should go to the 6:00 class if it means that much to you." And so I did. :)

I can hardly wait for my next dance lesson (I mean aerobics class.) Do you think I'm nuts?