One of my favorite things to do since early childhood has been to watch the Olympics. I come from a family of competitive people so watching any sporting event was always a family activity. Even though I'm an adult and have been out of my home longer than I lived in it, I still find myself drawn to watching sports on tv, especially the Olympics.
It was during the summer 2012 Olympics where I was remembering my childhood memories of watching the Olympics that it hit me like a nail on the head...I used to be strong. Up until I met my husband and moved out of my family home, I was an active person. When I use the term active, I mean it. From the time I could walk and talk, I loved to be running around.
During the ages of 5 and 12 years old, I could be found on any given day taking gymnastics and dance lessons (and practicing both at home),enjoying swim lessons and swimming in our pool out back of the house, riding my bike, cheering for the youth football program, playing basketball with my brothers, and basically running around my neighborhood with my friends. There was rarely a moment that I wasn't active. As I grew older, I gave up the gymnastics and swimming lessons but continued both on a recreational level.
In high school, I was on the gymnastics team 2 years, the field hockey team 3 years, ran cross country one year, and continued my dance lessons. Outside of school/lessons, and especially in the summer...I would ride my bike, swim, and jog on an almost daily basis. I remember summer mornings where I would wake up, take a quick jog, do an exercise program along with some leotard wearing woman on the tv, swim all day, and finish it all off with a bike ride in the evening after it cooled down.
The bottom line is, I was constantly active as a child and teenager. I love my husband more than anything but he's never been one that was in to athletics or exercising. He is a competitive person but it leans more towards playing pool or poker and after having met him, I slowly gave up the dance lessons when we were married and I too started playing pool and leaning towards non-active competition. It is my one big regret in life. I loved being active, I loved having a six pack of abs and muscles everywhere. Now I occasionally exercise using my wii or xbox360 but the bike stays in the garage and the pounds have packed on. My six pack of abs is long gone and it just makes me sad that I've let myself go and more importantly given up being active when I so obviously loved being an active person.
This year during the Olympic watching season, I came to a big conclusion...I want to be strong again. I'm almost 41 years old and I'm couch sitting my life away. I was a much happier person when I was an active person. I love the activities I do partake in...reading, making jewelry, playing poker, and watching movies with friends but there is no reason why I can't be strong while engaging in my favorite past times. I want to grow old being in good health and with strength in those old muscles of mine.
I took a first step towards being strong, I made the decision to go back to dance lessons. It looks funny to even type it out but there it is. Starting in September I will be part of an adult beginners ballet class. The instructor says it is the perfect class for me, someone who used to take lessons as a child that has been out of the world of dance for a while. I hope 22 years counts as a while because I haven't had on a pair of ballet slippers since June of 1991. This is a start but it isn't everything. If you want to laugh I gave up my gym membership to be able to afford the ballet class. I think that in order to exercise and be active, you need to enjoy what you are doing. I have never enjoyed going to a gym but always enjoyed a good dance lesson.
I've started this blog only to help inspire me. I've always been more motivated if I write down an account of what I'm trying to be motivated about. I hope to share my experience of getting back to a more active and fun life.
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