Last night I was having a conversation with my oldest niece about fitness and nutrition and she asked if I was still writing in my blog. I told her I really hadn't been lately because after so many years and so many ups and downs, I'm starting to feel like I'm just repeating myself and not really going anywhere. And then as I headed to bed, I couldn't stop thinking about the concept of repetition and that it's actually not such a bad thing.
When it comes to my own personal journey, repetition means that I haven't given up. Sure, it may bore those who read this blog to read for the umpteenth time about how I've finally gotten myself back to the gym, but to me it's exciting! When we were living in Utah, I was in the habit of spending at LEAST 5-10 hrs a week at the good old Clearfield Aquatics and Fitness Center. Between teaching my own classes and being a student in others, it was my home away from home and it's what kept me sane. It also helped me to keep my eating somewhat in check.
After moving to Florida, our nearest gym was 25 mins away and was (in all honesty) in horrible shape. Old, rusty equipment, broken air conditioning, very few class options and I found it really hard to convince myself to go most days...especially if there wasn't a zumba class. But on July 1st, after watching the brand new construction finally get finished, a beautiful YMCA opened just 10 mins from my parents' home! Brand new equipment, TWO fitness studios, endless class options, and a lot of really friendly staff members.
It's amazing how "new" things bring new motivation and a fresh start. Since its grand opening, I have now been to 3 Zumba classes, a body pump class and a tabata strength class. And there's so many more I want to try! And that repetition is going to make exercising become a habit once again. It will become a NEED. It will finally become a regular part of my routine again and from there I know that other things will slowly start to fall into place.
My mental health has been a wreck for the past 13 months and I know that it will take time to heal...but when my physical health is a priority, my mental health drastically improves. I'm desperate to get back to the best version of myself both for my children's sake as well as my own and I'm finally beginning to feel like I'm off to a good start.
WAKE UP...DO MY BEST...SLEEP...REPEAT!!!
