It's now been 7 days since I took my first Barre3 class and I took classes #2 and #3 within the past 4 days. What a difference...but then I am at some level a fitness junkie. It was bound to happen, it always has in the past. Doesn't mean I like it - the actual 'doing' part, however as noted in my last post, I do like the benefits of exercise. So, if you are like me and you don't like to exercise but know that you 'should' - (this word is usually issued by your physician and really means "if you do not, you will die",) then find some form of physical activity that you know you will do more than once, and go do it. My new found love affair with Barre3 came about because I discovered that I no longer wanted to be a gym-rat or heave heavy objects around all the while feigning interest and joy in doing so. That revelation was miraculous! I did not want to be a gym-rat...how simple. I was overjoyed and also aware that I couldn't just stop doing 'something'.
Recently an acquaintance made reference to my 'thinness'! This is a woman whom I see on average about once a week when I happen by the needlepoint store. She and I have sat together and stitched, but we have not had coffee, a meal, or an event to bond our relationship, so she is an acquaintance. And as I was standing there in front of her with a smile and a 'thank you' on my lips - I was mentally fighting to keep my head from exploding, all the while a high, tinny voice was screeching "Are you blind?" When I think about my body size, the word "thin" is NEVER used as an adjective to describe it. I use "I am a size 8 in most clothes."
This is huge progress from the once size 16 that I wore on my 215 lb body and the words stocky, fat, full figure were thrown around like badminton birdies. True, it was 40 years ago, but body image/self confidence/ self acceptance comes in waves depending on where my head is at, if my hormone levels are sufficient, and whether or not there was some woman on Oprah, The View or in a magazine that is close to my age and looks FANTASTIC! Never mind that she has either been completely made over by a team of professionals or some male photographer air-brushed her within an inch of perfection - it takes more than a oatmeal scrub and a box of hair dye to make me look and feel Fabulous on any given day, and fitness is a part of this scenario, whether I like it or not.
So, the good news is I now feel more of my muscles after each class, so much so I signed up for 20 additional classes. Endurance should improve, muscles will get toned and maybe, just maybe the final 7 lbs that have lingered on my hips will disappear. I have surrendered thoughts of inadequacy in other areas of my life and bounced back...maybe balancing on one leg is the answer. I'll let you know.
No comments:
Post a Comment