Since I discovered a weight room, I love to work out. In college, I would wake up "early" at 6 am and run to the gym every day. Although the music tended to cater to 18-year-old-nerd-metal, I loved to hop on the bike, stairmaster or treadmill for 30 minutes. Then, I would head to the free weights and go to town for another 30 minutes. After college, I discovered high-tech machines and worked out like a fiend after work every day for 2-3 hours. It put me in the best shape of my life. Then, I moved to Norway and fell in love. My boyfriend (now hubby) wasn't into the gym but preferred outdoor activities. I went on amazing hikes, road my bike to/from work, climbed up mountains... But, I did get lazy. We moved back to the US a few years later, and I went on a few more fitness quests at the local gyms. When we lived in Denver, I would ride my bike up and down mountains for 40-50 miles a day. Most recently, I was a cross fit addict and grew an amazing addiction to wielding iron like a bad ass. Think Wonder Woman meets Shee-ra.
I have had periods of injury over the years - back problems, blown out knees, neck problems, broken ankles, twisted ankles, shoulder issues... I am recovering from the broken ankle now, and I am trying to find that balance with being a mom, working a full time job, and working out on a regular basis.
I have been a YMCA member for the last year, but when I go, I really do not like their equipment. The machines feel cumbersome, and there isn't a lot of space for using barbells/dumb bells. The boys hang out in front of the mirrors, building the empire of weights around them. When I am in the free weight section, I feel like a peacock in a sea of pigeons. I joined so I could also go swimming, but there are really weird men who hang out in the pools there. They leer & watch you swim, or they are aggressive and yell at you for getting in their lane. I find myself not going to the Y. Also, I have to drive there, which means either I have to go before work (and get ready there) & miss seeing my Sofie in the morning, or I can go after work, fight with the other after work people & not see Sofie at night.
Why not go back to the cross fit place, you ask? The workouts catered to men (although 70% of the clientele was female), and the women gained manly physiques. They were ridiculously expensive. When you pay for a personal trainer & they pay attention & correct your form. When you pay ~75% of the same fee for cross fit, and your trainer's attention is split between 60 people, you get hurt. Also, they only do workouts at certain times of day, and I would have to plan my day around the workout. In the past, I woke up & left before seeing Sofie in the morning, and I wouldn't get home until 7 pm at night every day. I just couldn't find the balance there.
So for the new year, with the goal of getting in shape & recovering from this ankle thing, I bought myself a Total Gym. Yes, the one with Chuck Norris and Christie Brinkley. AND I LOVE IT. It fits in my spare bedroom with the stationary bike and foam roller. It came with specific exercises for women for a total body workout over 6 days. I ride my stationary bike every day, and then I go to town with the weight lifting. No, it isn't traditional iron, but in the last 2 months, I have worked out 29 days. That is awesome! Right? Also, the exercises are safe for children! So, Sofie can do a mini-workout with me each morning, if she wakes up at 5:30 (and she does). And I am getting my muscles back.
Yes, I struggle with waking up at my original target time of 4:45 am ... but I am definitely working out by 5:20 and I usually get in about 40 minutes which is significantly more than last year. The other part of my workout equation is this app called Fitocracy. It is a totally awesome weight lifting tracking app that allows you to not only track what you do, but also gives you points and badges for doing different physical challenges. It is so fun. I love reading other peoples' workouts too. And of course, you get to 'cheer' for people in their awesomeness. This weekend, I ended up working out about 75 minutes a day, and my points were so high, I am wondering if I need to try to workout longer than 40 minutes a day. Also, I find myself craving iron and am wondering if I should setup a home gym in my garage.... It is a question for another day. But I am fitting the workouts in every day, and I am so pleased with myself that I am able to see Sofie and get it done.
