Making it a priority.

Since my revelation that I am not getting any younger.....I have been pro active about addressing my over all health and well being. I have been giving myself big cheers for not having had one puff of a cigarette since December 6th 2013. I have also been pro-active about what I have been putting in my body (salads and chicken instead of burgers and fries). Getting to my medical appointments and addressing what I want so badly to ignore. (Last visit had me in tears...my blood pressure was up, I had actually gained a pound since my visit three months ago and I absolutely NEED to get my blood work done. Did I mention that YES I do have sleep apnea?)   Anyways....I am not going to go on that road I already did my pouts about all of that and NONE OF YOU want to hear about it so I will talk about the positives instead like making the GYM a PRIORITY!!!

I missed the gym on Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday last week and I could tell the minute I stepped on the machine Monday afternoon. (I squeezed it in between my Vera House work, and actual real work). I went with my neighbor and mother of my son's school mate. Michelle is facebook friends with me and noticed that I had been posting about going to the YMCA and asked if she could go with me. I have never been one to say NO to most things, and here was yet another incentive to get my fat arse off to that place, so I was in it. She admitted that she has no experience with any gym, but signed up in Jan. and has made some attempts at coming. We started with the treadmill and I could tell I was off my game immediately. My back started hurting after about 15 minutes. I had hoped that this condition was long gone. I off set the pain with some elliptical and that seemed to help. Tuesday I think I just might have pushed it to far and after at date with my other neighbor to her gym in the morning. (I have fun pictures and stories to tell about that later), machines and swimming and then Zumba later that night. I was walking around here like a cripple.

 Yesterday I came home after a 45 minute tread walk, and high speed elliptical and up two pounds from my last weigh in in tears grateful to find my hubby home early from work. He took the time to lead me through some focused muscle building and reminded me that there is more then the scales. I might be able to run 20 minutes on the elliptical machine, (which originally I could only walk 5), do 60 minutes of Zumba with ease, but I could barely do one correct push up and even sit ups I needed to cheat at. He went through several of these fundamental exercises with me and some stretches to help with the lower back pain. He had some great suggestions, but I do know I have to take even more consideration about what I am eating and keeping the gym a priority.

With his guidance I plan on getting back to the basics. That doesn't mean that I am simply going to rid my Zumba class or stop the nearly daily trots on the treadmill. It means I need to look at my CORE muscle building. Truth is I hate weights, hate abs and core....but I recognize I have to incorporate this into my day.
I would much rather have fun with my gym experience like I did on Tuesday morning with my neighbor Jenny and her twin girls.

Jenny had invited me to her gym with a free three day pass. It's a new local gym called Pacific Health Club. It's a very nice gym with a very hefty price tag. Not that our family YMCA membership is all that cheep, but I enjoyed the invite and had a great time.

First we went to her daughters PT sessions and then we were off the gym.
Her daughters at PT.

Jenny dropped the girls off at this amazing playroom.

There were not many people there which was nice and all of the equipment was clean and new.

 We checked in and hit the machines before we retrieved the girls and hit the pools.

We had a great time in the hot tub, and the pool area. The place needs some work and the changing room tiles were so slippery I nearly fell twice. Plus they don't have showers in the pool area. Jenny says they are working on it, and there is another pool area not yet opened. Tonight we are returning to have spa treatments for Valentines Day. I am stoked.  I was suppose to met up with her yesterday but I had so much going on and had a Vera House meeting in the middle of all that was happening.
The meeting was all about the Men's Outreach program Vera House offers.Its a great program that's efforts are to prevent abuse. Here is the programs commercial.

Great message and much meaning. I love that Vera House is looking at the Men's role in this and thinking futuristic. Only the abuser can stop the abuse, so why not cultivate a society of NON-ABUSE!!! Love the premise.
I really enjoyed this Vera House meeting and I was just talking about retiring from the volunteer office. (I was irritated on Monday...but thats another story and my irritation is long gone). I also had an opportunity as we were leaving to gain a possible network. One of the other volunteers at the meeting reported that she works at OCC (the local community college and where I had applied to teach) So I asked her about her work. She has the same degree as I do, but not the substance abuse stuff, long story short I got her number and plan to call for coffee sometime and talk about what positions I could explore. Now I just have to get my nerve up and follow through. Enough Blogging for one day. I think I am all caught up. TTFN