Joined!
We did it! We joined the gym yesterday! Of course, now I’m eating Ben & Jerry’s pumpkin cheesecake ice cream, but you have to start somewhere, right? I’ll work on the diet later, after the exercise thing is a habit.
Yesterday was basically a ‘learn how the equipment works’ workout, but this afternoon I went in and started making some progress. It’ll be fun to see how long it takes me to be able to do 30min straight on the elliptical. I only managed about 12min today before I had to get off and stretch to keep from cramping up. I got on for a few more minutes after the stretching, but didn’t stay long due to my hip flexors being all crabby. They haven’t done this much work for a while! After that, I did a bit of upper body strength training. My shoulders are gonna hurt tomorrow! But man, I can’t wait to have my bicep muscles back! I think I did about 35-40 minutes worth of exercise total, which isn’t too bad for my second day.
While I was there, I was the only female in the place. I kinda liked it. For some reason, I don’t care what the guys think of me. I’m way more intimidated by the buff women. Maybe it has to do with being married. Or maybe it’s my competitive streak. I don’t know.
Anyway, it felt really good working out today. Hopefully I’m not too sore tomorrow!
Snap!
During a late lunch, Jon and I were discussing how our clothing doesn’t fit very well anymore. I’ve been wearing my “fat pants” far too often over the past few months, and since Jon quit smoking he’s been nibbling more often and it’s catching up with him. Rather than buy new, larger sized wardrobes, we’re going to try and get more exercise. Our apartment doesn’t have a fitness room, and winter is coming which means working out outdoors won’t be an option much longer.
So, after lunch Jon and I decided to stop by Snap Fitness to look around! Though they seem to have one of the least reliable websites I have visited recently, their clubs are just about right for the two of us. They have all the basic cardio and strength training machines, as well as free weights. They are open 24 hours, and have no contracts to sign! For the both of us, it is only about $50 per month, which is fantastic. Any other club we had considered in the past cost twice that much, and only had limited hours of operation. Also, there are a couple convenient locations on the light rail if I want to go after work! Gotta love that!
We haven’t officially become members yet, but we’ll probably be stopping in there after I get off work tomorrow. Here’s hoping that the only reason we’ll need to buy new clothing is because our old items have gotten too big!
Comfort In My Skin
One of the things I love about belly dance is the way it can bring me back in touch with my body. Any conscious movement would do roughly the same thing – yoga, running, swimming, etc. – but dancing also gives you an amazing opportunity to blend your physical self with your creative self. It’s a definite confidence builder, and it happens when you aren’t even paying attention.
I found this short documentary a while back and it does a great job covering why I’m so excited about belly dance. In the video, the women seem pretty typical, very similar to the people I’ve met in class. There are many different shapes and ages, and yet they all look graceful, confident, and like they’re having fun!
Also, I’m constantly amazed at the over-all intelligence level of the women who choose this creative outlet. Many of them are leaders. They are earning masters degrees and breaking glass ceilings in their career fields. It’s an amazing environment to be in. If you’ve ever been curious about taking a class, go do it!
Whirlwind
So far, my 30′s have started off with a bang! I got a new (part-time) job!! I’ll be starting at the veeeery end of August. Soon, I’ll be splitting my time at work between my current responsibilities and my new payroll/staff scheduler role! I may even get to go to Baltimore for some training in mid-September! This prospect is very exciting, I’ve never been on a business trip before. For that matter, I’ve never been on a plane all by myself! Anyway, I think it would be a wonderful experience to see an east coast store and learn about my new duties from an outside source with a different perspective.
Beyond that, the amazing ladies at TNT seem to want me to join their tribal belly dance group! I WANT to, but I feel like I need to put work first right now and get a handle on my new job. If I’m feeling more comfortable with my new responsibilities and schedule come October, I’ll definitely be getting in contact with them! I miss dancing with a group a lot – my college dance team days were some of the best – so I’m really hoping TNT will still be interested in me someday in the future!
As for now, I have the second half of my vacation to relax and get caught up around the house before starting my new adventure!
First Open Rehearsal
I got to do the most amazing thing last night! Totally Northern Tribal, a tribal group improv style belly dance troupe, had their first night of open rehearsal! The ladies I got to meet were all SO friendly and welcoming, I can’t wait to go back next week. The group improv style is fascinating. It’s like learning a new language! One dancer leads the others through a series of cues and they move as a cohesive unit. I think I prefer it to choreography because it allows for so much freedom. Once you know the cues and steps, you can dance to anything!
I’m a rather kinesthetic person, so it’s ridiculously nice to have an outlet for my energy. I’m so glad I gave belly dance a shot, and that my bestest girl friend Mara went along with me in the beginning to help get me started. It’s one of the best things I’ve ever done and I hope I can make it a part of my life for a looooong time!
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