I went to the gym last week and Dan-the-trainer weighed me for the first time since I started seeing him. And I just about fell over myself! I’ve gained 6 pounds since October. SIX POUNDS! I’ve been at the same weight since I was 19 years old so to hear that I gained 6 pounds boggles my mind! But he says that much of it is muscle. Oh really? Where?! I don’t see it!!! The only thing that has felt even remotely muscular these days has been my butt. It’s bigger. It looks bigger, it fits tighter in my jeans, I hit things with it when I turn corners. I have an ass now! But could it really be 6 pounds worth?!? I don’t think soooo!
In all seriousness, deciding to work out on a regular basis has been the best thing that I’ve done for myself all year. It’s not cheap to have a trainer but I decided months ago that I’m going to invest in my health and in my well-being. You only have one body! You better use it and take good care of it. The workouts have totally been paying off. I have so much more energy, I sleep much better at night, I’m less stressed and my mind feels clearer each day. The endorphins that are released after a work-out are addictive – they give you a natural high and most nights, I have more mental energy after I leave the gym than before, even if my body is completely wrecked.
There is also something really raw and sensual about working your muscles, working the physical aspect of yourself. I sit in an office all day long, working my mind, always in my head about everything. It is so nice to just get down to the basic, animal rawness of working your body to a sweat, of watching your muscles tense up as you lift weights, of feeling the burn of that one last push-up before you collapse into a heap on the floor. A body in motion is so beautiful – angles and curves, softness and hardness. It’s art. And it makes you appreciate just how completely miraculous the human body machine really is. The pain and relief, the anguish and joy – it all makes me feel so so alive.
If you aren’t already committing yourself to regular exercise, start!!! It will be the greatest gift that you can give to yourself this year. I promise.
