I'm Athletic?

I mentioned a little bit ago that I'm trying to find a balance between all of my priorities, one of them being physical fitness. The easiest way I've found to fit that in is to utilize the wonderful benefit Western Union offers - free fitness classes! We're not sure how long they'll be around, but currently the contract is through the end of 2010. There is a local gym nearby that sends trainers over to teach 4-1hour classes per day. It takes slightly more than a lunch break, but it is so very worth it. The classes are awesome!

I have been trying to go a minimum of 3 times per week. I'd love to go every day, but some days I have errands to run or am too busy at work or just want to get out and see the light of day. But the classes are fantastic. They require me to push myself far more than I would if I were working out alone and we target muscles that I would never know how to target alone. Yesterday I planned on taking the Core Fitness class which is my typical Thursday class. It is from 12:30-1:30 though and I had a 1:00 meeting. So, Dottie and I decided to take the 11:30 Bosu Cardio class...and I am glad we did! I hadn't ever worked out with a Bosu ball before and the class was really challenging. At one point we were doing tricep extensions while laying on the Bosu ball and the instructor, who also owns the gym, came by and said "you have great form". Me? Yippee! I didn't know a bigger compliment was looming on the horizon though...

We all moved our Bosu balls to the walls and were doing vertical mountain climbers. She came by and suggested I move my ball farther from the wall saying, "You are very athletic so you could challenge your muscles more by taking your arms off the wall. Being farther away will help you maintain balance better without the help your hands"

I AM VERY ATHLETIC? Since when? I don't think I've ever been called athletic in my life. If I was, it was in elementary school...definitely not since then. What a compliment! Now, I realize it may have all been a ploy to trick me into thinking I'm super athletic and, therefore, encourage me to challenge myself more. Which I did. So whether it was a true compliment or a ploy I don't think I can complain because I still got a better workout because of it. So its a win-win!

I love sports, but I have never been much of a sports-partaker as much as I was just a sport fan. I played volleyball in junior high but I was mediocre at best and our team was awful. I did play soccer in elementary school and loved that - although I loved being the goalie. If you don't know much about soccer, the goalie is the person who moves around the least. I was good at it...only got scored on twice in 3 seasons...but I never did much running. So my athletic experience beyond stationary soccer and crappy volleyball is marching band...

yep, not an athlete.

I have had higher physical health goals in the last 2 years than I've ever had though, so I probably am more "athletic" than ever before. I wasn't ever one who obsessed about exercise, diet, physical appearance, etc. The previous statement would probably be why in college I wore jeans, faded t-shirts and flip flops every day while gaining far more than the freshman 15. But the more I workout and the more I notice the extensive benefits of being physically healthy, the more I find I enjoy it. And sometimes it does border obsession. I think its hard to be committed to that hard of work if you aren't obsessed, though. I still love cookies, biscuits and gravy, and all forms of bread...but I definitely pay more attention to when I eat them and what quantities. That along with my efforts to be a hot-mama by working out has brought me to a point where a personal trainer actually used the word athletic to describe me...I think I'm on my way to reaching my goals!

And, on that note of health and wellness, I need to go to Saltgrass Steakhouse now for a Tax Department lunch(which means no butts-and-guts class for me today!). Then I have to work for a few more hours before Austin and I go indulge in the Melting Pot for his birthday. Hmm, guess I'm not being so health conscious today huh? :) Happy Friday!