Wellness Wednesday

Hey friends! So, as you know, my kids are both back in school now. My son full-time and my daughter just a few hours twice a week.

You would think this would open up endless opportunities for me to have some mommy alone time! I’m envisioning blogging at Starbucks without kids asking me for cake pops. Possibly a little tanning sesh at the beach. Maybe even reading a good book while I sit by the pool. Ooooh! A mani/pedi-I’m long over due! But…what did I decide to do?

Spin class!

Yes! For the first time in over 10 years, I took a spin class at the gym.

Now, keep in mind, I used to take this class religiously 2-3 times a week-before marriage, before kids, before I was really an adult even. You know-back when I was “in shape.” Even then, I had a love/hate relationship with it. I remember literally praying in the middle of it for class to be over because it was so hard. But, I also remember that feeling of accomplishment I felt afterwards. It was strong enough that it kept me going back class after class. I LOVED IT!

You might wonder where this crazy idea came from. Believe me-I would be asking! Anyway, a few weeks ago, my family visited Hawaii from Nebraska. During one of our nice “sister sessions” talking on the beach, my sister mentioned that she had been taking spin class at the YMCA. I got so excited hearing her talk about it. I hadn’t even THOUGHT about that class in such a long time! Instantly, a reminder of that love/hate relationship came back…But, in spite of that, I decided to give it a shot!

So, day 1. I try to remember proper spin class attire. I’ve been hiking for the past 2 years for exercise, so most of my “workout clothes” is suitable for the rugged outdoors or at least “looking” like I’m working out aka yoga pants. I figured yoga pants are kinda like long biker shorts. And, biker shorts has the word “bike” in them…so they must be appropriate for a “bike” class! ha Don’t you just love my logic!?!?! So, I threw on some yoga pants and a tank top.

I’ve cut my hair pretty short since my spin class days. So, I had to figure out how I was going to keep my hair out of my face during this intense work out. I decided to go for practical and not pretty. You know those little baby hair rubber bands? Well, I pretty much just gathered up my hair into a bunch of those-kinda like how I do my daughter’s hair. I felt like a toddler…Or maybe Coolio…

I also remembered that I would need to stay hydrated. So, I grabbed 2 of my husbands triathlon bike water bottles. I figured I might as well look the part, right? Also, I planned on needing this water for survival so I didn’t want to run out!

So, with everything lined up, I was all set…

I walk into the spin class room. Luckily, it was a small group of women. Also, there were many of them who it was their first time. So, it was a very instructional class. I was excited about that because I could use the reminders myself.

I gotta say…It’s like riding a bike…LITTERALLY! You don’t forget!

I was back in my groove right away and loving it! So much so, that those little hair ties I was telling you about were busting out of my hair and flying all over the place! I was a HOT MESS!

I’m always talking about Instagram pictures vs real life pictures. I’m about to show you an example. This is your warning to not look if you have a weak stomach! ha

How I think I look in spin class:

How I actually looked after spin class:

I know! YIKES! But, I survived and I will definitely be going back!!! Next time, I will need to work on a different way to hold my hair up because those baby hair ties busting out was like a bunch of slingshots hitting everyone nearby me! ha

What is YOUR favorite gym class? Is there a class you used to take but haven’t in a long time? Maybe it’s time to try it out again? What do you think?

Remember, cardio classes (like spin) are great for your heart. However, if you are wanting to lose excess abdominal fat (particularly Visceral fat-which surrounds your organs and “puffs out” your gut) you need to do a combination of cardio and strength training. My next mission is to add some weight training on my off days!

Have a healthy week my friends!

With Aloha,

Lacy

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