Gym

Good day friends.

Do you enjoy exercising? I assuredly do not. I do not enjoy wearing "work out" clothes, I hate sweating, and I'm not a big fan of people watching me at the gym. Even if I just decide to bounce around on an Elliptical machine for half an hour, my whole day's routine is upset. Obviously this happens because I don't make time to work out in the first place, but I don't like to admit that.

I've talked to many people who say, "I love the feeling you get after a great work out!" In my head I'm thinking, "You enjoy the pain in your chest, the burning in your lungs, and the feeling of cold sweat dripping down your spine?" After I work out I feel like curling up in a heap of warm towels and not coming out until my vitals have returned to normal working order.

When I was growing up, I worked my butt off as a dancer. I vacillated between loving and hating it. I didn't have any interest in sports so dance kept me active. I quit when was in high school and it felt like gained a life but lost a family. It was hard to stay positive as a dancer when you spent every day after school staring at yourself in a mirror comparing yourself to the thinner, more toned girls next to you. However, my instructors were amazing. They pushed me to the limits of my physical and mental abilities and made the blood, sweat, and tears worth it (most of the time).

As I matured I realized that I didn't love dance as much as I used to. It was hard to leave my dance family, and thinking about it still makes my heart hurt a little bit. God had different things for me to work on, though. I immediately began singing lessons and from then on music was my hobby. Although singing is definitely a physical pass-time, the end of dance marked the real end of my commitment to physical fitness. It sounds more dramatic than it really was though. I was thrilled to have free time and be able to do my homework right after school, instead of late at night when dance got out. I enjoyed following my mom around, running errands with her, and helping her make dinner. But then my pants started to get a little smallish around the waist.

Since then I've been in and out of gyms countless times. I have adult-sized responsibilities these days, including taking care of a tiny dog, finding a job, and learning things at college. I can come up with a trillion excuses as to why I don't have time to exercise. I'm really good at it. One might say that making excuses has become something of a hobby....

Some day though, I'm going to have kids who will question everything I do and I'm going to have to tell them why I chose not to keep myself healthy. I'm not sure I want to go that route. I think I'd rather show them that they can exercise and avoid super sugary foods while still maintaining a joyous lifestyle. I think it's time to go to the gym.

Let's brave the sweat.

Love,
Charlotte