Being Active

Well it is a month into 2010. I had planned to do the 30 Day Shred DVD for 30 days straight and see how fit and buff I was. I must be honest and say that I never got past level one. I did the workout for seven days straight and my leg started to hurt in a way that concerned me. I decided to give it a couple of days off, then ended up going to Calgary for Grandpa's funeral and ended up taking a week off. I found that even after a week off that my leg was still sore. From what I could tell the pain was coming from the attachment of my hamstring at the outer part of my knee. After a week off I decided I needed to give it another try. I found the worst culprit in hurting my leg was the jumping jacks, so I cut them out and found that my pain eased up. I pushed through level one for a couple more days and decided that I needed to change my workout up a bit.

For the last couple of weeks I have been trying to do some sort of physical activity at least every other day. I haven't always managed to maintain, that, but I say 2 or 3 times a week is better than zero times a week. I have been working my way through some of the free exercise videos that are available through SaskTel Max. I definitely like some better than others, but I think I have realized that I am not the sort of person who can do the same workout over and over and over again. I like a little variety. Even though I am pretty weak and don't have the best endurance (I have definitely seen an improvement since I started!) I like to push myself a little bit, even if I can't make it through all the reps of a certain exercise. I don't love feeling stiff, but it definitely gives me a sense of accomplishment knowing that I am stiff because I worked my muscles and in the process they are getting stronger.

I did get Jason to take 'before' pictures of me at the start of the month and I don't think I will post them until I have some 'after' pictures that look at least somewhat different than my 'before' pictures. I haven't noticed any loss of inches or pounds in the last month, but I also haven't really been watching my diet. Not that I eat so much junk, but I did eat out a LOT in January being in Calgary, then in Moose Jaw. Thankfully I haven't gained any weight!

I have considered joining a gym, and I don't think it would be out of the question for me. I think I would appreciate having access to a personal trainer to help me set up a workout plan and set some specific goals. I also think I would enjoy the variety that a gym has to offer. But I do want to make sure that if I am going to spend money on a gym membership that it is something that I am willing to commit to. I can only imagine how much money gyms make from people who pay for memberships but never go!