joining the gym

I did it.  I joined the gym.

After being on the fence about such a decision for the last 5 years, I finally did it. And it feels great.  

Here are my reasons for joining: 

1. Kickstart this pursuit of health and get back into the routine of physical activity.  I think the hardest part about creating any new habit is starting.  I joined the gym for a temporary period of time and am committing to going for the next three months.  Even though this is not going to be a lifestyle activity and gym membership that I will implement into my life indefinitely, I joined just to be motivated enough to get started.  Paying for the membership is a great motivator for me, and that 12 times a month health insurance benefit will also motivate me to get there three times a week for the next three months.  As hard as it is to leave Eden, it is so worth it and the fruit will benefit our entire family as I am a better mom and wife and friend when I am holistically healthy.  

2. Babies.  I was unfortunately not active AT ALL before getting pregnant with Eden and it really limited my ability to be active during pregnancy.  I believe it also made my pregnancy and recovery much more difficult.  The general rule of thumb is that during pregnancy you can continue exercising to the extent and in the ways you were before getting pregnant.  Unfortunately this meant I could do very little.

While walking was a great option for me, it was basically the only option.  I started out my pregnancy very weak which I believe made it much harder throughout those nine months and labor.  Even now I am struggling to carry the carseat and nurse as I have little muscle to work with.  My goal is to rebuild the muscles that were moved and shifted and worked during this past year and prepare to do it again!  While we are not thinking of baby #2 anytime soon, I would love to have a lot of time to slowly recover and rebuild so that in the right timing for Eden to have a little brother or sister I am stronger and more prepared for such a task.  

3. Reset my relationship with exercise.  Because of my history with overexercising, my relationship with this task is a bit skewed and I have always had a negative attitude about working out because my only experience with it was destructive.  I hope to reset this relationship with being active so that I can model to my family how to live an active lifestyle and take care of our bodies.  I hope to do this through trying new things, learning more about exercise, taking fun classes, working out with friends and family, and really learning to enjoy physical activity.

I am excited to exercise again and will be diligent in this commitment to going three times a week for three months.  And I will continue to consistently confess what I believe and ask God for help, knowing only He can bring full restoration to my entire being.  I will do my part and trust Him to do the rest.