Nov. 23: I’ve been going to Curves gym now for about a month, and it’s going really well. I’ve been going three or four days each week at 6am, and I’m home by 7am. The work-out gets my heart-rate up, and it gives me a lot of energy, but I have yet to feel sore or do much sweating. [That’s in serious contrast to my time at Monkey Bar gym which I loved, but which leaves you unable to climb stairs, lift a coffee cup to your mouth, or get up from a chair while you’re getting started!]
Here are my favorite things about going to the gym:
- Listening to NPR in the car. I can never listen to the radio. I get almost no news. But now I’m getting about 15 minutes of Morning Edition and I feel more keyed into world happenings.
- Being on my own for 50 minutes each day. As I’m doing my circuit at Curves, I don’t have to worry about anyone else’s needs. And no one is going to cry for me, so I can let the part of my being that responds to my children take a breather for an hour. It’s pure bliss.
- Coming home to my snuggly family. Often when I get home, Bryan and both kids are in the bed. And it’s dark. And they’re all so cozy! I can crawl back into bed and have Andrew wrap himself around me in his sweet, warm sleepiness and say, “How was the gym, Mom?” and then “Do you remember any of the dreams you had last night?” Sylvia is all smiles and gurgles and morning mama love. And I’m awake enough to appreciate it all. It’s good.
- More energy. I’ve noticed that on days I go to the gym I can go, go, go more easily than on days I don’t. I still don’t totally understand how by getting up an hour earlier and exercising I end up with more energy, but I do. So that’s a good thing
- Getting fit? A sub-goal of this whole endeavor. I like taking action to bring a little tone back to this mama-bod.
So far, I’m really happy with my membership with Curves. Hoping it continues to be a fun thing to do!