Be an Exercise Hedonist

Fortunately, I have always enjoyed exercising.  I have to give my parents credit for instilling that in me.  Thanks, mom and dad for throwing me outside when my backside seemed glued to the chair in front of the TV.  Even at the point in my life when I was heaviest, I would sometimes do aerobics, walk to work, walk my dog around the neighborhood and the park, and play games like kickball with the kids I worked with.  Occasionally well-intentioned people would encourage me to exercise, assuming I didn’t because of my size.  But I was, and I probably would have been even bigger had I not.

In recent years, I’ve tried P90X, the Body for Life method of lifting weights, Zumba, Jazzercise, yoga, as well as various classes at my gym.  And from all these, I’ve realized this:  I am not a masochist!  I don’t need the aching knees, and the feeling old because I need a nap in the afternoon.  One class I tried at my gym was called Anaerobics, where we would exercise one muscle at a time for what seemed like 5 minutes each.  Doesn’t that sound like fun (imagine my voice dripping with sarcasm here)? 

What I do like is awesome music (hence my love of dance), moving my body, and feeling strong and sexy. Back when I did Jazzercise, I would actually get a feeling of euphoria.   Euphoria beats feeling like a creaky old woman, IMO.  If I get bored I try something new.  This summer I’m going to try getting back into biking, and maybe even lap swimming if I can learn more skills beyond my standard doggy paddle!