Tuesday 19 April 2011

FITNESS PRELUDE

As a kid I was always involved in some kind of sport: karate, gymnastics, soccer, swimming, figure skating. Thing is, I was never any good at any of them. I wasn’t flexible. I was (am) clumsy. All I really wanted to do was wear the cool outfits:

karate - coloured belts
gymnastics - spandex
soccer - shin pads
swimming - spandex
figure skating - spandex and sequins

That said, I was a competitive swimmer all throughout high school—again, I sucked, but I kept with it. And I’m glad I did, as those five years are probably the best shape I've ever been in.

Once I moved away from home to go to university, however, I needed to find other ways to stay in shape. I joined a gym and became a cheerleader—duh, cheerleaders have ripped bods, right? At least on TV they do. Bonus: cute outfits!!

I cheered for two years. And it was around the same time that I tried spinning for the first time. I became a spinning addict, cycling 4-5 times a week.

...

Now, nearly three years later, I split my time between spinning and boxing. Both: fantastic cardio workouts. Both: make me feel stronger every time I practice them.

Crushing on pink.
I love the rush I get when I do sprints on a bike. I actually just recently received my spin instructor certification, and am looking forward to teaching my first class. As for boxing, I really like having something to hit. Yep. Uhuh. It’s the best stress reliever ever! Next to bubble baths and chocolate. Don’t hit your spouse. Just get a punching bag. Pillows at home work, too.

...

I currently attend a gym that offers both spin and boxing classes and I couldn’t be happier! In addition, the gym offers zumba, hip hop, and body conditioning classes—it’s really the whole package.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing some of the classes I take at this gym, why I love them, and what makes them so great.

As the weather warms, I’ll also be making my way outside to start running again. This summer, I’m going to start training for my first half-marathon, so keep an eye out for training tips and schedules. 

Overall, though, my fitness-related blog posts will cover everything from exercising and ways to stay active, to nutrition, workout playlists, and even special features on those who inspire me to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle in the first place.

What are your favourite ways to be active and stay fit? What makes you feel strong?

images via google and fit and happy

4 comments:

  1. Oh my goodness, I did that too!!! (Deep down just wanted the cool sports equipment). I played rugby in grade 10 just for the sweater. The addiction still rages on, and I may start boxing to get ahold of those sweet gloves. It's not such a bad addiction really, if it's getting me into shape:)

    I look foreword to these posts about the half marathon!! WOAH.

    Keep up the great work!
    xo

    ReplyDelete
  2. I can't tell you how much I love seeing fitness-inspired posts on otherwise designy/lifestyle blogs.

    Most fitness blogs don't really strike my fancy, so it's nice to see it incorporated into blogs with other focuses (just lime in real life). Looking forward to more of these posts!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Logan, your comment means a lot to me. I was actually really unsure about including fitness on my blog, figuring that blog readers interested in fashion/design/food wouldn't get any use out of it. I'm glad you think it lends a good balance to the rest of the site.

    Thanks for reading, and keep up the great work at Oh, Hello!

    ReplyDelete
  4. And thanks, Julia! I hope you do get inspired and try boxing--it's an amazing workout! Maybe we can sport pink gloves together one day?

    ReplyDelete