Let’s get physical, physical! I wanna get physical.
As in physical fitness, obviously. It’s time to get back into physical fitness.
After that past year of binge-watching Tiger King in my pajamas, spending long weekends on the couch playing Animal Crossing, and taste testing pizza from every restaurant in my neighborhood, getting back to physical activity is long overdue. While I have been intermittently doing home workouts, this pandemic has still taken a toll on my physical health. I haven’t been sleeping as much, although I am more tired than ever, I have been eating more, and been feeling less comfortable in my body lately.
It’s no secret that working out helps your body get in shape and gives you confidence. But since March, I have made a deal with myself to go easy on worrying about constant exercise or calorie counting so I had one less thing to stress over. Instead, I have been trying to check in more with how my body feels. Pre-pandemic I worked out 3 to 4 times a week, post-pandemic I worked out 1 or 2. Sure I went up a pant size, but what really made me realize that my lack of frequent exercise was hurting me, was when my hips got so stiff that I started limping.
I realized I needed to find a new way to motivate myself to work out with my new routines and simply waiting for the pandemic to be over wasn’t going to cut it anymore. I spent a week doing 30-minute cardio exercises and yoga, and my hips were quickly back to normal, I felt more happy, and I slept so much better. So here is my challenge to you (and myself!): Try one new exercise.
I am going to try a new virtual class on the Merritt Clubs app every month and try to work it into my new routine. What did I start with? A 40-minute class called “Girl Power Boot Camp” with Jessie Scheerer. Man was this the right class to start with!
Jessie taught a great class geared towards motivating ladies like me to feel awesome, which I totally did. You know it’s going to be fun when it starts with a Shania Twain song. The class was a great mix of strength/cardio exercises and encouragement. I almost high-fived a photo on my wall because I was so hyped and forgot I wasn’t actually at the gym working out with other people. I even learned some new moves I can do at home anytime, like the one in this video:
If you need a place to start that makes you feel good instead of sad by how quickly out of shape you have become, this is the class for you, no matter your gender. It doesn’t matter who you are, belting out “I Feel Like A Woman” is fun for everyone.
Merritt Clubs On Demand is currrently available to Merritt members only. There is a 30-day free trial promotion. To access, log on to the Merritt Clubs app.
