Exercise. It can be a dreaded source of torture or a welcome reprieve from our regular daily activities. It has been both for me throughout my life. I have gone through many phases of exercise regimens. I have tried jogging and even ran a quarter marathon, but I have never been able to fall in love with it like the joggers I know have. I've done weight training, step classes, yoga, pilates, swimming, and even TaeBo (don't pretend like you don't remember Billy Blanks).
I am writing about this now because in recent years exercise has grown in importance to me with regard to my over all well-being. Nowadays I look forward to my pilates classes and feel amazing afterwards, even if I felt like vomiting during the class. I recognize that part of this infatuation is related to those oh so important, not-a-mommy moments I crave. Pilates, yoga, or evening walks are a bit of an escape from the demands of motherhood and I make no apologies for that. It is an added bonus if I shed some pounds, increase my energy levels, and maybe even trim the underarm flab. The operative word being "if", because I am a coffee-doughnut, beer-pizza kind of girl and probably always will be, so chances are I will always rock a bit of a muffin top in my skinny jeans; however, I feel confident I can keep it under control and not allow it to overtake my belt.
The human body is designed for constant motion and in our sedentary society we need to make the effort and get up and move. I didn't always buy into this but since becoming a mom, and getting older, my health has increasingly become a priority. I'm not going to waste your time naming off all the benefits of exercise, we all know them. Health and wellness is a gazillion dollar industry ( I believe this to be an accurate estimation), so we can count on the information to be available and crammed down our throats at every turn. Part of me thinks we, as a society, need to see and hear this constantly, but buyer beware. Living a healthy life is simple. No big gimmick is going to correct our mistakes.
I like pilates, yoga, and walking. I can make it to one class a week because that's all my schedule allows. I walk every day. That's my exercise regime these days and know I can stick with it. I'm not willing to give up bacon or cake, and I don't particularly love my extra belly fat so I gotta keep on moving!
If you happen to live in the Milton, Ontario area I would love to recommend the studio I visit. The owner, Lori-Ann has created a welcome space with flexible schedules and a variety of classes. I realize this sounds like an ad and I promise it's not, but when I find something good I like to share!
www.oxygenpilates.ca
Again, I am having friends say they are having difficulty commenting. I tried again and it seems to be ok. This time I clicked on "no comments" and chose "name URL" to post with. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
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