Getting Back To Exercise

I hit the gym last Tuesday for the first time in months, and I have to say I felt so happy doing it!  Even better--the first person I saw was my former trainer, Wendy.  We talked for quite awhile about the gym, classes, and this great program the Y has called ActiveTrax.  It's a workout program that spits out a workout for you to follow that changes every time.  You just print it out, do the exercises, then record your workout either at the Y or at home on your computer.  Wendy got me set up in the program, and since I was short of time I returned two days later (at 5 AM!) to do my workout.  

Can I say I really really really love being up at 5 AM working out?  I really do.  But it's hard for me to WAKE UP.  Once I can get out of bed I'm usually ok.  And the gym is very quiet, so I can get to the machines without waiting.  And I'm a huge advocate of working out first thing in the morning.  If I wait I won't do it.  The day gets in the way, I'm tired after work, and I just want to go home. And I don't like working out in a crowded gym.   It's a big check off my list every day if I do a workout first.  It will be a challenge once the weather cools off and I want to stay under the covers.  I'm figuring out how to bribe myself to keep getting up early--maybe a new workout top or shorts every week I workout early?  Or a good smelly bath product.

I peeked in on a Zumba class, too.  Not too many people, but enough that I wouldn't stick out.  It looked like fun, and there's a class on Tuesdays (my usual day off) in the morning.  I'm going to give it a try and see how I like it.  

So now I've printed out my second workout, and I'm heading to the gym this morning.  Hoping to run a bit outside afterwards, since it's sunny and cool--a perfect September morning.  

I'm more happy than ever that I went back to the Y.  And I've been recording on my calendar when I work out and making sure I am taking my vitamins every day.  Baby steps, but I'm doing them.  

Food wise, I made 2 dozen pumpkin muffins last Tuesday, portioned them into freezer bags, and have been eating them for breakfast.  They are so darn good!  And they're keeping me away from buying a pumpkin muffin in my bookstore cafe every day I work.  I'm now looking at other muffin recipes (cranberry and apple for sure) to make again this Tuesday.  Soon my freezer will be full of muffins.  I'm being selfish and not sharing them with Bud.  Makes life easier if I have breakfast already planned--keeps me eating breakfast and not overeating later.  And if I can continue to get up at least 2 times a week to workout at 5AM before hitting my job, well--grab'n go breakfast is perfect.  Now to find a good eggy breakfast recipe.  The world will end for me if I eat so much pumpkin that I become pumpkin'd out.  That cannot happen.

I've been thinking about not running this time of year, and I have had a few moments of boo-hoo.  I do miss it, but don't miss the stress of trying to get into shape for a race.  Focusing on next year, and being ready to have some fun.  I've never been in such good shape that running was ever easy for me, so I'm hoping a winter full of 3x weekly strength training will make a difference, stop my feet from hurting, and lighten the load on my body.  Working on making exercise fun and important to my health and well being.  

Do you exercise?  What programs, if any, do you do?