I Know, I Know

Exercise is necessary and is actually good for you.  Having danced for most of my life I imagine exercise to include a pirouette or a grand jete.  After retiring from teaching dance seven years ago, I've taken a few classes and even began exercising.  I also quit exercising.  Exercise is supposed to be fun.

Catherine Chiarelli is a friend
and fitness guru...p.s. this
is not me!!  BUT I used to look
like this not too long ago. 

My husband disagrees with me about exercise being fun but instead says, "You don't exercise because it is fun, you do it because it is good for you."  Yeah, uhhhh, I don't think so.  Life is too short to not enjoy every ounce of it, so I'm on a mad search for fun exercise.  Another important thing for my exercise regimen is for it to have longevity.  I used to exercise for 8 to 10 hours a day and when I no longer had that exercise regimen, I lost all sense of self as my body transformed into something not recognizable by anyone I knew prior to 2002.  Luckily it helped my forge a new journey to find the real me.  I can't say I've really truly found myself, but everyday I get closer to God and somehow I think this story will end well.

Ok, so back to exercise.  Exercise is said to make you live longer.  My theory is if you live longer, it only evens out because of all those hours(years) you spent exercising that you lost.  Are you starting to get a glimpse of the extreme dislike I have for forced exercise??  I think this is also the same dislike I had for homework back in the days of homework.  They said homework was good for me, but now I know better!!  Am I going to look back on my life and realize exercise was NOT good for me?  Maybe.

It is hard to have friends that
look this good!!

Many of my friends are finding great workouts at boot camps, cross fit, even zumba.  Mentally, I'm not there yet.  I want an 8am ballet class with Mr. Wong or Alla Osipenko to start my morning.  A Dunkin Donuts French Vanilla coffee with cream and extra sugar and an hour and a half of ballet class zen.  I would even settle for a Graham class three times a week taught by any of the amazing teachers I had in college or high school.  These pole and ribbon fitness classes, although intriguing, are not for me.  I like to imagine myself doing this exercise till I'm 90 and neither of those exercises check that box.  I do love Pilates, too.  Sustainable  exercise is key for me.  I know if I hit the gym hard or started cross training I could look like I did back in the days when I wore a cheerleading uniform.  I cannot imagine continuing to exercise that much or that hard ever again.

good old fashioned ballet company class

Some of my friends probably hear my theories and say, "She is just lazy!" or  "She isn't very disciplined!"  They might be right.  For now I will settle for a little bit of this and a little bit of that.  I sure wish my friend and uber-successful business owner, Jenna Wilayto Zaffino had her Pilates studio in San Antonio instead of Chicago.  Come to think of it, many of my friends have their own very successful Pilates, dance, or fitness studios and programs.  Maybe I just missed the boat!!  Nah.

If you find a fun exercise regimen and think I need to know about it, please feel free to comment.  My husband also suggests cleaning the house more often.  That exercise idea is bad for morale.  Happy Exercising friends and CHEERS to a longer life because you do exercise!!