Learning to Like Exercise

I never thought I would say these words . . . . . I kind of like exercising. 

Over the years I've dabbled in exercise - taking a class here and there and half-heartedly trying out yoga or pilates or step aerobics or whatever was the latest craze.  But I never stuck with anything other than walking fairly regularly.  After doctors told me as a teenager that continuing to run would continue cause pain in my messed-up knees, I discovered that I really like to walk - and I walk pretty fast. (Just ask Dan, who doesn't enjoy "going for a walk" with me because my idea of walking is speed walking down the street while he would rather stroll.)

For many years my mantra was "my life is my exercise."  Yes, pathetic, I know. I just figured that all the running up and down steps and holding babies on my hip and carrying loads of laundry all over the house took the place of regular exercise. And who had time to exercise anyway. Thanks to Springer genetics, exercise wasn't a necessity for weight control issues, and I didn't have any health concerns propelling me to work out.

So, here I am, a year past the big 4*0 birthday.  Somewhere around 39 my metabolism which had served me well started to s-l-o-w down. I started to notice that if I ate a pound or two of fudge then I gained at least a pound or two. Bummer.  So, I started whining to Dan about how I was going to have to exercise, but I didn't want to. He didn't have a lot of sympathy because he actually really likes to exercise.

Around this same time I realized two more things.  First, all my kids are now in school. So I am not trying to cram every errand and housekeeping chore into the few hours that my youngest was at preschool. Now I have some longer stretches of time during the day. There's still lots to do each day, but there is time to carve out for exercise.

Also, I discovered that what Dan has told me for years is actually true.  Exercise makes me feel better mentally. I feel more energetic. I handle anxiety better. The endorphins flooding my brain feel good. I get more done on days that I exercise.

So, this is what is working for me right now. My favorite exercise is my Zumba dance class at our local gym. I go to Zumba twice a week - it's the most fun way I have ever found to get in shape.  My inner dance diva really gets into doing the moves. I just have one rule.  I never, ever look at myself in the mirrors which are on every wall of the room. I truly don't want to know what I look like. I can guess that it isn't all that impressive, because whenever I show my girls the dances at home they double over in mortification and disgust.

The other three days of the work/school week I either attend other classes at the gym (step aerobics or cross training or yoga) or Dan and I work out at home. Last week we started doing the workouts on the P90X DVDs in the mornings - after getting Bailey off to early morning Seminary and before everybody else gets up.  Man, those are hard workouts!  I hate them.  And I love them. It feels good to push my body and see if I can do the crazy moves they are doing on the screen. And it's fun to do the workout DVDs with Dan. In case you are wondering, he totally smokes me on anything involving upper body strength (pushups are not my friend), but I'm much better at yoga.

So, there it is. In my middle age I have found that I like exercising.