Not managing your time and making excuses are two bad habits. Don’t put them both together by claiming you ‘don’t have the time’.     -Bo Bennett

Ninety-nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses.     -George Washington Carver

Don’t give in to excuses that can keep you from really living the best life God has for you.     -Joyce Meyer

Time and health are two precious assets that we don’t recognize and appreciate until they have been depleted.      -Denis Waitley

It finally happened.  I couldn’t find any ‘legitimate’ excuses to not attend a fitness class last night.  For MONTHS I’ve been asked to join an adult fitness class at the kids’ martial arts school, and I always had an excuse as to why I couldn’t go.  “I have a roast in the oven” was the instructor’s favorite.  Cuz my husband or kids can’t take it out of the oven for me?  Um, weak.

Last weekend I was talking to my friend Mary – she goes to a gym regularly and says she loves the fitness classes and she expressed interest in trying this class with me.  And then that same day I was talking to a gal who takes the class and she was telling me how much she loves it.  In fact EVERY person I’ve talked to that takes the class says they love it.  So with that, and Mary saying she’d go with me….I was talked into it.  We set a plan to attend Tuesday night’s class together.

All day long I hoped she would have a conflict that prevented us from going….and guess what.  She did!  She messaged me that she had a training class to go to and I was so excited to have an excuse to not go- because Mary couldn’t go!  Yay!  And I can’t go Thursday because of our HOA meeting (they are discussing raising dues and closing the pool- not going to miss that meeting!!)

But as I walked outside after work to pick up the girls from karate…. that golden globe in the sky gave me motivation- I wanted to be outside, I wanted to do something physical, I wanted to move my body and do something healthy.  Even though Mary couldn’t go tonight….there’s no reason why “I” couldn’t go.

Nah, I’ll go for a walk instead.  So I messaged my husband and suggested we go for a family walk after work, and his response, “You should take the class.”

Ugh.  Fine.  OK.  I mean, I have no excuse to not go.

But I was scared.

Yep, even worked myself into a fit of diarrhea because I was so freaked out about taking this class.  Why?  Because although I might be thinner than the average 40-year old American woman, and I might appear to have strong arms and legs….I’m really an out-of-shape weenie.  Put me on a track and I won’t be able to run a lap.  Or even a half lap.  Heck, I bet you I couldn’t make it to the first bend without having to stop to walk.  I despise running.

I despise anything that makes me sweat or makes my heart start pumping which is the opposite of health.  That even includes yardwork.

And I’m tired.  I’d rather sit on the couch and get caught up on my TV shows, enjoying a relaxing family dinner, ahhhhhh.

But which option is the healthier option?  How am I going to make myself stronger, healthier, gain endurance?  I want to rock a bikini this summer!

I’ve seen portions of the class at ERWCWMA when I’ve been there to pick up or drop off the kids- and I’ve seen how red-faced and sweaty the women are, they are grunting and groaning and everyone looks completely wiped out.   These are women who are active Martial Artists- attending extremely physical classes several times a week.  In my mind, they are the epitome of strength and endurance.  And they look like they are struggling!  

I was afraid I’d look weak, I’d look like a fool.  I was afraid I’d puke from over-exertion.  I was afraid the other people in class would laugh at my inability to keep rhythm or my awkwardness with doing the martial arts moves (which I’ve never done before).

To hold myself accountable, I posted on Facebook that I was attending the class.  I’m Facebook friends with two of the people there, so I knew I wouldn’t be able to live it down if I didn’t show up. And seriously, on my way there I considered pulling over and parking the car and just going for a walk instead.  But I couldn’t, because I’d already publicly committed to going.

Ugh.

As I walked in the door, I got several high-fives for FINALLY coming to a class.

The class started out with warm-ups: jogging in place, jumping jacks, side to sides, a couple punches or arm movements were added in that would make it a ‘martial arts’ type thing, but no big deal.  I was able to move at my own pace within my own limits.  Some people were aggressively doing as many movements as they could, others were barely moving, I like to think I was in the middle someplace.

The hardest move for me was a martial arts type move where it was a side step, pivot, then punch.  Next time I’ll just take it slower so I can be more controlled.  I’m not very coordinated.

I take that back.  The hardest move for me was when we had to do side-kicks.  Repeatedly.  For I think 30 seconds at a time with just a 10 second break.  Those H.U.R.T.  She really took her time to explain the technique and process since I’ve never done one, and I was proud to say I could keep up with the class (maybe not kicking as high or as hard) but when she said we should really feel it in our butt, our legs, our abs….and I responded with “should I be feeling it in both cheeks because the other one is killing me!” I got a good laugh from the class.  It hurt.  But I think that was because my glutes were already sore from the hour spent in the attic on Sunday cleaning and organizing the space (I can’t stand up in the attic, so it was a full hour of squats!).

Anyway, at the halfway mark the focus changes to circuit training- moving heavy ropes, doing squats with weighted balls, doing lunges with kettle balls, doing ab work exercises, jumping rope, etc.  30 seconds, a 5 second break, 30 seconds again then switch!  We did the circuit twice.

The session ended with more ab work and then stretching.

It was FUN.  I loved it!

I can see how the workout is geared to all levels- you can make it as intense or as mild as you want.  I definitely had my heart going and I worked up a sweat, but I could have pushed myself harder and done more, but for my first time I think it was perfect.  I will definitely go again and I’m striving to make this a weekly routine.  There are daytime classes offered, but I can only make the nighttime classes which are on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  They do offer a Saturday morning class a couple times a month, unfortunately it’s smack late morning at 10:15….so I’m not sure how feasible that is for me.