Gym Rat

The other day my husband called me a gym rat.

Me? I asked in shock.  You think I'm a gym rat?  

With your P90X you work out way more then me.  I only committed myself to minimum of two days a week and yeah, I do more some weeks but not enough for me to be a gym rat.  

First I couldn't get you in the gym and now I can't get you out.  You go every chance you get and you get upset if you plan to go and don't get to.

My goodness.  I had refused to work out for so long.  How did this happen?

I thought about it for a minute and had to admit there is some truth to his statement.  Lately I have been more committed to exercise then ever.   This week for example.  I went on Sunday to compensate for a Pizza fest the day before.  I went Monday morning on my off day.  Then I went Tuesday after work.  Then I went Wednesday morning before work.  I did 60 minutes on the Elliptical for four days in a row burning between 590-650 calories per session.  Tuesday and Wednesday in particular, I was really in that zone that everyone talks about.  I was pumping my arms and legs like nobodies business and it felt amazing to push myself.  I probably looked like some kind of lunatic mouthing the words to my favorite songs, bobbing my head up and down and grinning for apparently no reason.  I was sweating but I was literally breaking out in goose bumps on my arms and legs because I was so into my work out and the music.  I felt like I could go on forever and the time flew by.  It was awesome.

I've learned to push my after work fatigue aside and head to the gym without even thinking twice about it.  I even worked out when I was sick.  Exercising has just become something I do.  Something that I make time for.  I was always athletic growing up participating in gymnastics, track and cheer-leading.  After high school my parents put me on their gym membership and then I worked out at my College gym too.  It was so much easier then.  Yeah, maybe I had school and part time jobs but I also didn't spend 45 hours a week at a full time job and have a house to keep up.  And I'm not as young and energetic as I used to be.  I managed to stay committed to working out for the most part with some off and on until I fell off the wagon big time for years and didn't see how I would ever find my way back. 

I really love it that I'm doing something good for my body and that I'm actually enjoying it.  I really love it that I CAN.  It's one thing to just be lazy and not exercise and entirely another to be physically unable to.  I am lucky that I have a gym membership (that I don't even pay for) that gives me access to a really nice gym that's close to home.  I am lucky that I can exercise and I finally realized that needed to take advantage of that and not take it for granted.  I still haven't gotten to my new exercise videos but I will.  I do hit the gym consistently and I just bought my 2nd package of classes at a dance and fitness studio.  I've gotten a lot of my lost flexibility back and I'm even starting to see some of those hard to get oblique muscles coming in on the sides of my stomach.

So when I think about it I don't really mind being called a gym rat.  It's actually taken a lot of time and energy to earn that label so I'll proudly accept it.   It's way better then being known as a couch surfer...although I am guilty of that too!