But I’ve got a little boot camp back!  How?  Kids joined basketball, and their practice is right at bootcamp time!  I’m more excited to sweat than I care to admit.

So if after work won’t work, how about before work?  The Y has classes at 5:30 and 6:00 am, which would give me time to exercise and get to work by 8.

I thought I’d give it a try this morning.  I was totally ready!  I had my gym clothes out, my bag packed with my clothes, towel, and shower gear.  I set my alarm.  I was doing it!

My alarm went off this morning at 5:30.  And… I went back to sleep.  Doing a bootcamp at 6 am was just more than I could imagine.  The idea of doing burpees and mountain climbers before even a cup of coffee…

So you early exercisers, HOW DO YOU DO IT?

I used to get my yelling at my twice-weekly bootcamp class at the local Y, but that was moved to a different time that, due to strict laws against child abandonment, I can’t attend.  So I’ve been going to a cardio toning class that has been underenrolled, to say the least.

So the instructor says she’s going to change it from cardio toning to–you guessed it!–zumba.

At this rate, I’m going to give up on the Y.  Anyone have favorite exercise DVDs I should check out?

I had no idea what zumba was, but many twitter pals thought it was fantastic.  So I didn’t go in completely unprepared, I checked out some Youtube videos.  I was not encouraged.  There seemed to be much neon spandex.

But I persevered!  I went to the class, and it was chock full, despite being at 9 am (don’t these people have work or something?).  I was encouraged! Lots of people, even men, at a time most people are working (including me).

But then I noticed people were wearing jingly scarfs, like belly dancers wear.  Yikes.

The music started, a latin beat that was great fun.  But the instructor didn’t bark out instructions like most exercise instructors; indeed, she said little but had a big grin.  No, she simply danced and we were supposed to try to follow along.

I am not terribly coordinated.  I gave up on step classes because they required way too much coordination.  Unlike step, it didn’t look like if I took a misstep I would break my ankle.  But knocking into someone else was a real risk, because they didn’t know what they were doing either (though it was hard for me to know; my eyes were riveted on the instructor as I tried to figure out what she was doing).

Then everyone was encouraged to join in a big conga line.  I tried to get into the “this is fun!” spirit, but I can’t have fun if I don’t know what I’m doing.

Then someone offered me a jingly scarf to tie to my hips.  Now, even if I knew exactly what I was doing, there would be no way in hell I would be putting a jingly scarf on my hips.  I’m just not a jingler.  My hips jiggle enough without having jingling added in.

I’m sure if I knew what I was doing, it would have been a great workout; certainly, the instructor was sweating up a storm.  Not me.  I probably should have focused more on just dancing than exercising, but I was there to exercise, dammit!  Exercise is supposed to be intense!  It’s supposed to HURT!  You’re certainly not supposed to smile or wear jingly scarves or be part of a conga line.

At the end, everyone whooped.  I thanked the instructor, who astutely figured out that it was my first time zumbaing.   She asked if I’d be back.  Even if I didn’t normally have to work, I don’t think I’m a zumbaer.

Instead, I came back at eleven to do the kickboxing.  As I kicked and punched imaginary enemies, I realized maybe I just don’t have the zumba spirit.  Maybe I just need to pummel something!

But if I have another day off, should I check it out again?  What should I be doing?

It makes intuitive sense: the brain is an organ, and increased blood flow to it will help it work.  But how many of us “knowledge workers” spend our days on our tushies, getting the bulk of our exercise walking from the parking garage to the office elevator.

Kids intuitively know that they need to move their bodies, and get squirmy when asked to sit for too long.  My kids (twins in 1st grade) get THREE recesses in school.

As we get older, we lose sight of our real physical need to move our bodies, thinking of it as a nice-to-have or something we do when we have time (which is never) as we sit and sit and sit in front of our computers (yes, I’m talking to you!).

Yes, my job is important, and I’ll do it even better if I take a few 10 minute walking breaks.  My exercise classes aren’t only an investment in my appearance (which frankly I gave up on so long ago it’s hard to consider it again) but in my ability to be smart and work smart.

So how about you?  Have you taken a recess today?

I really didn’t want to work out.

My kids were engrossed in a video game, and it was difficult to get them out of the house.

I really didn’t want to work out.

I was late for class.

I really didn’t want to work out.

I arranged my bike, stepped on, only to find out that it made horrible noises.  I had to switch.

I was thinking about leaving right then.

But I got a new bike.  And I stayed.

And I had an ok workout, after I gave up on leaving in the middle.

And now I’m not in such a bad mood.

Yesterday I was upset, ate a lot, and still felt crappy.  Today I was upset, and exercised, and feel somewhat better.  No, not a controlled study, but a start.

Tomorrow, I will take a walk.  And I will feel better.

My towel!

Unless you want to be sweaty as can be at the office after a workout, you need a towel.  I tried using paper towels once when I forgot my towel and forgot I forgot until after I worked out.

I suppose I should have taken a walk, but I really wanted to go to the gym.  I plan on keeping a towel and shoes in the car so I won’t have that particular excuse again.

It’s never been fun, but lately it’s been tougher.  I’ve had to go down in the weights, and have had to modify things back even further.  Instead of getting stronger, it seemed like I was getting weaker.

But today before class, when I was lamenting how my fitness seemed to be less and less, my classmates laughed and reminded me that the class was getting harder and harder.  And today, he let up a little so I could–almost–keep up.

Except for the squats.  Oh, the pain!

What makes the WW pedometer special is that it tracks activity points.I feel like I already do pretty well in the exercise department, but figured having a new toy wouldn’t hurt.

I knew that most people overestimated the amount of exercise they got, but even though it’s discouraging.  Yesterday, I only earned 3 AP, including a 5 mi “run,” and today only 4–and that’s from 6.25 miles of walking!  Sheesh.

I’m hoping it will give me a little bit of motivation at work to take my breaks walking instead of goofing on the computer or blogging.  Even though I can take stairs no problem now, the stairs to my office still provide a little mental barrier.  Memories of huffing and puffing and sore knees…

“A lot of plus-size people are very embarrassed about sweating and struggling in front of people,” she said. “They try to be very well groomed and not stand out. Yoga can get very sweaty and awkward, so it’s easier to do when you’re surrounded by people who look like you. You don’t want to be the one sweaty, fat person in class.”

Participants appreciate when the instructor can give modifications for a move.

Another instructor laments that these participants don’t want to join a regular class, and notes the future of yoga is to appeal to everyone, regardless of size or initial fitness level.

I’ve never done yoga (unless you count a few poses on the Wii Fit), but I have participated in exercise sessions for the overweight.  Years ago, at the Albany pool in the Bay Area, they had a swimming session limited to large women called Making Waves.  I felt intimidated at that time to go to a regular pool, and so this sesion was just what I needed.

Once I got comfortable with myself in a bathing suit, I joined water fitness classes through Berkeley and at another club.  My exercise regimine has gotten a lot more intense since then, but I was glad that there was a resource like that for me when I needed it.  It helped me to develop the confidence to be the fattest person in a class, and to realize that everyone is wrapped up in his or her own body drama and isn’t paying much attention to mine.

By the way, I’m STILL the fattest person in my exercise class!  But it’s a boot camp class that strikes fear in everyone who starts it; most don’t keep it up.  I keep up the best I can, and little by little am getting more fit.