Two more “firsts” in the past week – I had my first session with my new personal trainer, and took my first yoga class.
Kate gave me an up close and personal introduction to my new playground equipment.
We are working on my “core” and strengthening my arms and legs. The next day, even my fingers hurt! Not that I am complaining mind you. I’ve always heard the expression “no pain, no gain.” And it is my understanding that the more I do this the more dexterous I will become and I’ll get my stamina back, too. I used to literally dance the night away. I used to hike to the tops of mountains. I used to raft class 5 whitewater. I am determined to do it all again!
The next “first” was my first yoga class, titled “Gentle Yoga.” Gentle yoga kicked my butt!
If anyone knows the source of this graphic please let me know so I can give credit where credit is due. We did all these things and more. I had never even heard of any of these poses let alone how to do them. I am learning so much about this whole new world and at the same time learning about myself, my limitations, my aspirations, and my brand new goals. I am working from the inside out, mentally and physically. It is exhilarating!
Next time I think I’ll do a bit of an introduction to me. I’ll be thinking about what to write, so until next time, enjoy!
Yesterday was the opening (but not “grand opening”) of OneLife Fitness in the Hagerstown Mall. I have been anticipating this opening since last summer, when I saw a sign-up booth in the park in Williamsport, MD during a festival. The vendors said this was a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor with a discounted membership/extra benefits. The club was under construction in the old Macy’s store space and should be open around Thanksgiving.
I had been thinking hard about getting back into shape. My stamina and flexibility were going downhill fast, and I was experiencing waaaay too many aches and pains. I have trouble exercising by myself at home. I came to the conclusion that what I needed was some structure. So, I signed up. And waited. And waited. And waited. So… here it was, January 25, and FINALLY opening day had arrived. It had been a long six month wait!
I went to the club and took a tour of the HUGE facility, and signed up for an introductory hour with a personal trainer the next day. I went to the shoe store and bought a new pair of workout shoes. My current shoes were about 20+ years old – NOT well worn but very heavy! My new HOKA shoes are like walking on a cloud albeit a very sturdy one! The are as light as air but the foot support is fantastic.
Sporting my new kicks I headed to “my” gym for my introduction to my new world. I had a great trainer who spent about 30 minutes in questions, answers, ambitions and goals. We figured out, with the help of a machine, body fat (I even know how much each of my arms and legs weigh!) muscle mass weight, how much water is in my cells, and how much outside my cells. I told him I have arthritis in my knee and my doctor told me to lose weight, among other things. Goal setting time! Between now and March 2 he SAYS if I follow my plan I will lose six to eight pounds. Of course I don’t believe him! Four weeks, eight sessions, and eight pounds? Doesn’t sound possible to me! So we will see! The goals I chose for myself are nutritional – eat three servings of fruits per day, and take a multivitamin daily.
Next came 30 minutes on the gym floor. It went pretty fast, some things were more difficult than others, but I made it through feeling pretty good about my first “workout” of my journey. By the time I got home I knew I didn’t want to cook so we went out for pizza and a salad. See what I mean about those eight pounds! By the time I was home again the aches were getting intense. I took an Aleve and iced my shoulder first, then after 20 minutes iced my leg, and 20 minutes after that I moved the ice pack to my knee. That is the last thing I remember before I fell sound asleep in the chair…
If anyone knows the source of this graphic please let me know so I can give credit where credit is due. We did all these things and more. I had never even heard of any of these poses let alone how to do them. I am learning so much about this whole new world and at the same time learning about myself, my limitations, my aspirations, and my brand new goals. I am working from the inside out, mentally and physically. It is exhilarating!
Sunshine of My Life 