Let's Get Physical

Leaving the gym today, I noticed a saying by the exit that I'd never paid attention to before: "Your cholesterol, blood pressure, waistline and sanity thank you."

Boy, did that sentence strike a chord with me. I have been going to the gym for six months now, which is hands DOWN a life record for me. And not just going "when I can" or "once in awhile" - I've been going regularly, maintaining a minimum 4-day-a-week schedule, and actually loving it. Can you believe that? I, Jennifer Mathews, couch potato queen since the mid-'80s, LOVE going to the gym. If you had told me that a year ago, I seriously would have laughed in your face. But it's true. And all four things in the above list are finally starting to give me due props.

Of course, they thank me in different degrees - sanity kicked in first, and that more than anything is what keeps me going back. Because of extra work hours last week and then the long holiday weekend, today was my first day back to the gym in almost a week, and I kid you not - last night I was like a kid on Christmas Eve. I couldn't wait for morning. I was so antsy to get to the gym today that I got there 30 minutes before my class started! If I go too long without exercising now, I get tense, edgy, sluggish, and not very fun to be around. I need it to feel normal, like...well, like me.

My body took a bit longer to get on board, but it too is now showing appreciation for all my hard work. I was in relatively good health before I started exercising, but my glucose levels were off the charts. But just recently I had lab work done and my doctor couldn't believe the difference in my numbers. After Sophie was born I was right on the cusp of full-blown diabetes, and now I am in total normal range. And my cholesterol and blood pressure levels are both better than ever. That was really, really, really great to hear.

The waistline is the last to show its thanks - ain't that always the case? But it's starting to get with the program too. And the shape of my body is general is beginning to change. Clothes are fitting me differently, I'm down a size, and I'm seeing a difference. (And so is my husband!)

But the best part is that overall, I just feel better. I feel good, inside and out. And I love the example I'm setting for the girls. I love taking them with me and knowing they are having a blast playing in the nursery while I'm sweating upstairs. It's a part of our daily routine now, just like eating lunch and taking naps. The girls see and absorb that and they learn that exercise is as essential as brushing your teeth or taking a bath...it's something you NEED to do, it's important, and it's a priority in our family.

I still have a long way to go before I get where I want to be, but I'm well on my way. And the most exciting thing about it all? I know that nothing's going to stop me now. Not even myself.