Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Exercise

Have I mentioned that I love to exercise? Wednesday mornings I'm at the gym at 5:00 a.m. I love it.  I'm not sure I love my alarm going off at 4:30 a.m., but I love working out and I love getting home at 6:30 a.m. just at the kids are getting up.

The gym I go to is a tiny place bursting with complete awesomeness. I was going to take my camera and show you around but it was 4:30 a.m. and I wasn't thinking about my camera. I'm not sure if I was doing much thinking at all. Anyway, at my awesome gym, I participate in group personal training sessions. It's cheaper that way. Usually there are three or four of us at a session.

Tracy is our fearless leader who shows up in the wee hours of the morning to work around our schedules and whip us into shape. She's a tiny thing who I could probably squash if I sat on, but I listen to everything she says, nod and quietly get to it. I don't mess with Tracy - she may make me do more reps when my arms are already crying out.

We worked arms today. We did biceps curls, tricep extensions, bicep curls with a squat, tricep extensions with a hinge, wood chops with a weighted ball and chops with a resistant band. Awesome.  Tracy wasn't finished with us yet. Interspersed between the sets of arm workouts, we sat on a bosu ball and did situps - little crunches, full sit-ups and side to side extensions, opposite arm to opposite leg.  Wonderful.

Sit-ups on a bosu ball.

Bicep curls.  We did a set of both arms together, 20 on the right, 20 on the left, 20 alternating.  Three times through. I wish I could say I look like this.  Nope. I eat to much bread to look like this but I bet I have more fun.
Tricep extensions.  Same routine. Set of 20 reps. together, 20 on the right, 20 on the left, 20 alternating.


Tuesday morning I got up and did a yoga dvd ( http://www.karenvoight.com/store/dvd.asp?sku=YSDVD) before the kids woke up.  After they left for school I had to take in some sunshine even if it was for only 20 minutes, so Holly and I readied ourselves and set out for a 25 minute run.  I tried to do intervals - run harder than usual for about a minute, then walk as recovery for about a minute.  I have no watch or stop clock, just estimating.  It was glorious.

Thursday will be a rest day of sorts.  My plan is to walk for about a half hour, followed by some yoga poses.  Friday will be a run with Holly, and Saturday I head back to my quaint gym and will do a combination spinning and strength class.  I'm hoping to get some pictures of that so stay tuned. Sunday will be a glorious day of rest.

Why do I share this with you all?  I'm not sure exactly.  Have I given you any good ideas? Have I motivated you? Have I bored you? Do you want to join me next week at 5 a.m.?  You could meet Tracy. You could do biceps and triceps until your arms weep. You could sing the Hallelujah chorus with me as we drive home.

I feel blessed.  Blessed to be able to exercise and to have good health. Blessed to have the opportunity to take care of the body God has in his mercy, allowed me to have. It's a gift so precious that I feel obligated to tend to it with the utmost of care.  Loving and enjoying the care of my health is the hallelujah, the icing on the cake, well, maybe that's not the most healthy example.  How about the granola in my yogurt or the spinach in my salad?  Not the same. Let's stick with icing on the cake.

Hallelujah. All is grace.  All is a gift.

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