Happy In Your Skinny Jeans

I started an exercise class this morning!  By 5:30 am, I was lunging and squatting and "downward dogging" ... doing pushups and stomach crunches and planks ... an  entire bootcamp of exercises!!  I brought along hand weights as instructed – but who needed hand weights – I had enough weight on my hips and thighs to suffice!  With  more than a few pounds to lose and with a major lack of core muscle strength, I expected to be hurting BY TOMORROW – but little did I expect to be in pain already TODAY!!  By  6:30 a.m., my  legs felt like jello and I felt like I had lifted an entire Chevy truck!  As I headed down the road toward home,  I called the kids to wake them (I didn’t think I would be able to manage my usual "good morning" walk from room to room and down to the basement and back.)  Although I had planned on taking a quick shower, I decided on a hot bath instead.  As I stepped into the tub, my legs still felt like jello and leaning back into the water to "relax" was entirely too reminiscent of doing a stomach crunch!

Once dressed, I headed into the kitchen for a cup of coffee.  Little did I know that simply lifting my coffee cup to my lips would be more than my sore muscles could handle -- can someone lend me a straw?!  Once the kids were ready for school, I headed into work where I met a few coworkers in the office.  They had been at the class with me and, although they were in better shape than I, they too were feeling the effects of the morning workout!  We laughed and made jokes and told others about our experience.  I think we are all going to be gluttons for punishment and give it another try on Thursday! Wow -- two days a week of this – I wonder if  I will still be alive yet on Friday! 

The moral of this story is that you may have to go through a few “unhappy” or at least “uncomfortable” moments on your journey.  If getting healthy and exercising are goals that will make you happy tomorrow then you will need to put in a little effort today.  But don’t forget to enjoy the ride – enjoy the time spent with friends while exercising and have a sense of humor … go ahead and laugh at yourself! Your muscles may not be “happy” today – but you will have an inner joy in knowing that you will be healthier tomorrow (and you might even look great in a pair of skinny jeans in the near future!)