Get up and MOVE!

Today was a better day for me in the way of getting things done.  We had school work to accomplish before making an hour drive to sign off on our taxes.  Afterward, we headed over to Target and from there, we went straight to Jazzercise.  I am LOVING Jazzercise.  It gets my heart rate up, makes me pour sweat and it's loads of fun!  A long-time friend of mine from high school teaches the class and she's really amazing.  Kari is fun, motivating and super cute.  She's not only cute just being her, but she's so stinkin' cute doing the dance inspired moves in Jazzercise.  I often imagine that I'm as cute as her doing the routines, instead of flailing about, trying to keep up and trying to avoid tripping over myself (which I did today). 

I don't love exercise.  I do it because I know it's good for me.  I love some kinds of things, but they are not always practical.  I always feel great after a workout, but getting to the workout is often a challenge.  I've tried to get in the habit of being more active more often.  Just GET UP AND MOVE!  Really, that's all there is to it sometimes.  Two years ago, I started participating in 5k run/walk races periodically.  At the end of the summer of 2010, I was inspired by a friend to participate in a sprint triathlon.  It was a really neat feeling to finish a triathlon.  Just after the tri, my sister-in-law invited me to do a half marathon in February. 

Here is a list of some of the things I learned through experiencing new activities and training for endurance events.  Some of them are no-brainers - things I already knew but proved true by actually experiencing it.  Some of them are things I learned about myself.

1. No matter how much you are working out, you will not lose weight if you are not carefully tracking what you are eating.  You might see some change at first, but just like eating well without exercise, progress will eventually plateau.
2. Cardio exercise is great for you.  It makes you feel great and you'll increase your endurance.  You'll see some changes in your body, but they won't be drastic.
3. Resistance training is essential if you want to see dramatic changes in your body.  The best exercises are those that combine cardio training with resistance training.  They obtain the most results in the shortest amount of time.
4. No matter what your starting point, if you train and follow a solid program, you can achieve amazing things.  You can run a half marathon, participate in a triathlon, run a marathon, etc.  OK, I'm guessing on the marathon here because I've not actually run one myself.  But based on my experience, I truly believe it's completely possible if you want it.
5. Any kind of movement for any length of time is ALWAYS better than sitting on your rear.
6. I enjoy exercising more when I have a friend with me.  I prefer running on a trail to running on the road.  And I really prefer running from a single starting point to an ending point rather than making loops. 
7. I've especially learned that I need to keep challenging myself and trying new things to keep exercising from becoming boring and monotonous to me. 

I appreciate Kari's spirit.  She is an amazing dancer.  She is a natural on stage.  She was voted "Most Talented" by our Senior class and anyone who takes her class would see that the award was well-deserved.  She helped choreograph some of the numbers we did in show choir together as well as some of the dance portions for our musicals.  Jazzercise is a natural fit for her.  She has channeled her passion for dance to a form of group exercise that she can sustain doing because she loves it.  I'm inspired by her for a number of reasons, but mostly because she is doing something that she loves and it happens to be really good for her body.

I'm looking forward to a day when exercise is a "have to do" for me because I love it and can't imagine going a day without it.  For me, it might be riding my bike on the trails one day, street running with a friend the next and cardio/resistance combo training the next.  I like to mix things up, but I need to make it consistent in frequency.  I'll focus my energy tomorrow on "Just get up and MOVE" and that should get me pointed in the right direction.

Switching gears...our hectic day required me to make sure that I packed a healthy dinner for myself and the kids.  We left Jazzercise and headed back across town to baseball practice.  Planning well in advance has proven to be one of the biggest keys of sustaining this plan.

Breakfast:  Same as yesterday and Monday, but today I added 2 tsp slivered almonds

Lunch:  Leftover Mediterranean pasta

Dinner:  Hummus with sugar snap peas, baby carrots, red/yellow/orange bell peppers, grape tomatoes, brown rice crackers

Snacks: Banana, Green grapes, Lara Bar, 3 dried figs

Weight Watchers POINTS PLUS = 33