I have always wanted to work-out and get in shape for all the wrong reasons. To have a nice body, to feel good about myself when I looked in the mirror. It was all artificial goals and motivations. When I lived in Tri-Cities I joined Golds Gym and would stick to my routine on the elliptical or stair climber. I would occasionally go for a neighborhood walk with my mom, or do her silly aerobic videos (FYI- not silly... totally a sweat-inducing ass kicker). The real kick in the butt for me was when I was stretching with my 58 year old mom who could stick her two legs out in front of her and touch her toes (by the way- I could hardly get half-way down my shin). Or the time I went to my boyfriend's mom's Jazzercize class and I was a big uncoordinated, sweaty, panting mess. I'm supposed to be in better shape than my mom and my boyfriends mom, right?
No routine has ever stuck and I always end up feeling disappointed in myself. In June of 2014 I went on a 7 mile hike with my friend Andrew and Savannah and Savannah's 70 year old grandparents. This hike had some flat parts, some gradual inclines, and at one point, switch backs. I had to stop at least 5 times on the hike to catch my breath. Savannah's 70 year old grandpa waited for me to catch up and was encouraging me by saying "Don't let them set your pace. You set your own pace and what feels comfortable". Wait..... am I just getting my ass kicked by a 70 year old that is in better shape than ME at 24 years old!? Talk about eye-opening. I wanted to be able to go on hikes when I become his age.
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| With Andrew and Savannah's Family on our hike. |
I finally joined an all-women's crossfit style gym (Farmgirlfit) in January of this year after several invitations from my boss and good friend, Sarah, who has been attending for several years. Let's just say, my first class was a tough one. Thankfully it was a partners day and Sarah picked up most of my slack. ;) I was SO sore for the next 5 days- there are no words to describe how sore I was. Literally everything I did was painful. Getting out of bed, walking, going up and down stairs, sitting down on the toilet to go pee... everything. I was watching the football game with my mom and Brett and when my mom went upstairs I honestly CALLED her from downstairs and asked her to bring me my water. I couldn't make this up if I wanted to... just the thought of walking up the stairs to grab my water was enough to make me want to shoot myself in the foot. It was hard to remind myself that the PAIN my body was feeling was actually a GOOD thing for my body.
For some odd reason, I decided to join this gym after one class- haha. Over the winter I watched several food documentaries on Netflix (thanks a lot, Netflix!), and began to understand how the food we put in our bodies affects our overall health. Coming from a family of heart disease (on both my dad and mom's sides of the family), I knew I had to start taking my health seriously if I wanted to be able to be active when I was 50, 60, 70, 80 years old. My mentality shifted from "I need to workout to have a nice body" to, "I need to workout to take care of my body". I'm only given this one body- and I don't want it to hold me back from doing things when I'm older because I didn't take care of it when I was younger.
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| Sarah and I at the St. Patty's Day partner grind |
I've been attending the gym as regularly as I can, along with getting in some beautiful hikes in the Spokane area. There are SO many great places to hike and I love it because it doesn't feel like a workout- it just feels like a great excuse to get out of the house and enjoy the gorgeous weather and scenery! I've also been paying better attention to what I eat and put in my body because I don't want to waste all of that hard work at the gym- but let's be honest- I love beer and I love burgers.... so those still have a special place in my life. Haha. Oh, and ice cream- That is just a non-negotiable.
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| 7 mile Liberty Lake hike with Nita |
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| 5 mile Iller Creek Hike with Nita |
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| 5K Hope School Race |
The most inspirational thing that has happened to me along this journey has been seeing the real progress this new lifestyle has given me. I give blood occasionally at the Inland Northwest Blood Center, and afterward you are able to log-in and view your wellness screen. When I gave blood in January 2014 my cholesterol level was 228. (FYI- anything between 200 and 240 is considered borderline high cholesterol. Anything over 240 is considered high). When I gave blood again in January of this year, my cholesterol was 224. I joined the gym 2 weeks later. When I gave blood again on April 3, my cholesterol had dropped down to 186!!!! 186!! How amazing is THAT!? It just goes to show that even though I don't have weight to lose or a figure to worry about, I am still making REAL changes toward my health and future. I can't express how excited I am about that.
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| Sarah and I donating blood, January 2015 |
Ultimately, I'm happy with this new path I've taken to a healthier me. It has not been easy. I struggle in finding the time to go to the gym, and when I DO go to the gym- I get my butt kicked. I mean, seriously, WHEN will I be able to run without feeling like my lungs are going to explode out of my chest? Or how about the time I was really proud of myself for finishing a difficult work-out at the gym, and when I went to look at the white board to see if anyone had a slower finishing time than me that day, I was so excited to see that someone DID finish slower than me.... only to read the word "Pregnant" next to their name. Way to go Brittany.... a pregnant lady was slower than you today and that is it. Haha. I just have to remember that even though I'm not the fastest, or the strongest, and definitely not the most motivated... I am still making progress and my health is improving. I am a healthier person when I leave the gym, than when I walked in. I am a healthier person when I finish my hikes, than I would be if I was sitting on the couch instead.
It's a journey, that is for sure.
