Fit As A Fiddle...or a Dedication to Denise Sarver

I had a lot of fun at the gym today. No really. I had FUN. I even got up at 6:30am on a Saturday to experience said fun. But there was a time when gym and fun were not words I ever said in a sentence together.

I used to HATE exercising. I hit my late 20's and thought to myself, "Well, I better start taking care of myself." So I began sporadically getting exercise in. I went through my Tae-Bo phase, maybe-I-can-try-tennis phase, racquetball-was-fun-in-college phase, 20-minute workout phase, Richard Simmons phase (seriously), kick-boxing phase, step aerobics phase...you get the picture. But all of these things were CHORES. Not something I would call "fun." 

Finally, in my mid-30's, I decided to work out with a trainer. I went through a few until I found Denise Sarver. She challenged me with a variety of weight training exercises along with other fitness challenges. By the way, this was not really that fun either. I liked TALKING to Denise. She knows way more about my life than most people do. I liked that I was getting stronger. I liked that I was seeing results, but I still only did it because I PAID FOR IT. It was painful for my pocket if I did not show up. I also went to a few of her exercise classes...Body Pump, Cycling, TRX. These were KIND OF fun. I mean, I get claustrophobic and don't like when people are territorial. But seriously, if I didn't show up for those, it didn't hurt my pocket. They came with my membership. 

I barely hung on to working out while working on my PhD. There was only so much time in my day. But I knew my health was important. Then something magical happened. I found an exercise that had me written all over it! Pound! It is kind of like putting on a rock show! The music is fantastic and Denise tricked me! She gave me a taste of Pound on one Saturday morning at a respectful 10am. Then she only taught it at 6 in the morning! What?! I was totally hooked. So for the FIRST time in my life, I got up early and went to exercise. And then I had fun doing it!

The next thing that happened was crazy! Denise convinced me that I should get certified to teach Pound. Now I had all kinds of qualms. I do not have the perfect physique, I didn't feel like a "real" fitness person, I have a muffin top. She would not accept any of my excuses. 

So I did it! Then I began teaching! And love it even more. And by gosh, Denise did it again! She insisted that I start going to her boot camps. They are difficult, but I found myself having fun. I made friends at Boot Camp. We were all miserable together! We shared common goals! We came in all shapes and sizes! We were all at varying fitness levels. This felt real. This felt genuine. 

Why am I telling you this? Because our health is everything. Our bodies need to move. They were designed to do so and we don't do it enough. (P.S. - you should TOTALLY read the book Spark, by John Ratey & Eric Hagerman...it is fascinating!) If you are like me, you can ABSOLUTELY talk yourself out of going to the gym (or walking on that treadmill at home). You can find 100 things that you really need to do. But that was then. Now, if I have to miss my workout, I REALLY miss it. My body wants it. My heart and mind want it. And I miss my friends. (The bonus I received from this working out thing.)

So all those articles you read about working out and the tips to make it happen? They are true. Find exercise that you love, and do it. Every day. Find friends to work out with. Better yet, make friends by working out together. Sometimes you have to pay for it. If you do, you will be more likely to go. Give it 21 days to become a habit. Ok, it took me like, 21 years to make it a habit...but don't be a dirty judger! ;)

So finally, I really need to thank Denise. Yeah, sure. I pay her to hang out with me. LOL. But she inspires me. She truly believes in me. She forgives me when I do stupid things health wise, but she also gives me a dose of reality to help me get back on track. Most importantly, she has truly become my friend. Thanks Queen D! :)