"E" is for exercise!

I am participating in Jenny Matlocks Alphabe Thursday!



"E" is for Exercise!

Through the years I have tried many kinds of exercise. I've pretty much loved them all..... for a while anyway.

In the 80's I did aerobics classes. I woke up early to do Jane Fonda in my living room.


In the 90's I did Jazzercise! I have to admit I loved Jazzercise. Mom (Susie) got me started. Remember that Mom? It's the one time in my life I actually felt like I could dance!
It's so fun to do the dance steps along with the music with a big group of women (and the occasional man). Also do you remember those cute leotards we wore... so many colors, prints and styles......


I was also a runner for a while. I have to say it was the most effective as far as weight loss goes....

I have spent many early morning hours at the rec center doing the treadmill or Elliptical machine while enjoying my "workout" playlist on my ipod.

Lately though the only exercise I get is walking the dogs a few times a week. I know walking is good but probably not when you stop every five seconds because there is something so interesting for them to sniff... like the trail of a bunny, an old food wrapper or my personal favorite.... another dogs poop :(
I recently read a book titled "Perfectly Imperfect" by Lee Woodruff. She is the wife of ABC News reporter Bob Woodruff. He's the one that was hit by an (IED) in Iraq a few years ago. They wrote a book together titled "In An Instant" about the experience. I really enjoy her writing style. While reading her book "Perfectly Imperfect." I found myself tearing up one minute and laughing out loud the next. She write in one chapter about how swimming has always been a part of her routine. She described her morning swims in a lap pool as very therapeutic. She described how when she's under water it's so quiet and peaceful.You can be alone with your thoughts. Even have a good cry and who would notice? She spoke about how as she swam the rhythm of her strokes were almost meditative. I thought "I want to be a swimmer!" It sounded so perfect. Only problem is I'm not. Much of a swimmer that is. I've always admired those who could languidly glide through the water from one end of the pool to the other. Don't get me wrong I can get from one end to the other also, it just isn't pretty. It's kind of a mixture of dog paddling and a few sporadic jerky kicks here and there. Also as I discovered this summer as Alex was challenging me to touch the bottom of the pool in the deep end and bounce back up before him, I'm very "buoyant!" :) I could only get down a little ways and I would float back up to the top. Even after Alex explained to me - "Mom you have to let all your air out of your lungs so you will sink" I don't think too much air in my lungs was the problem if you know what I mean.




One last thing I have to share about exercise... When I was several months pregnant with Connor I decided I should be exercising. You know how you try to do everything perfect with your first pregnancy or your convinced permanent damage will be done and you will feel guilty for the rest of your life. Like every time your child does something wrong you think... If only I had stuck with my "no caffeine" rule?? Well I was home alone one day. I had rented an aerobics tape for expecting mothers. It had been sitting on the shelf for several days. I finally worked up enough gumption to actually put it in the VCR (yes that was back when we only had VHS tapes). Anyway I started watching it and just couldn't get myself to get up and do it. Pregnancy makes you tired in case you didn't know... which the exercise would probably have helped if I had done it. Anyway I convinced myself that maybe I should just watch it through the first time while sitting down. Mark and Tamara (my sis in law) happened to come home while I was sitting there watching the tape. I looked at them and they looked at me and Tamara burst out laughing.... (Do you remember that Tam?). I guess it did look pretty comical. Me, this big pregnant person (probably with a snack of some sort in my lap) Sitting all comfy in a nice big comfy chair watching pregnant women to aerobics!

By the way, that is far as it ever went... :-)

Anyway... I will continue to ponder exercise and hopefully get motivated enough to actually do it.

What exercise routines have you done in the past. Do you have one now?