TOTD: Invincibility Debility
Remember the good ol' days when staying up all night, having that one extra drink, eating like crap, and sleeping with face full of makeup meant a touch of exhaustion and maybe a zit? Yeah, me too. We didn't know how good we had it!
Actually, I'm waaaay happier in my life now than I was then. I loved college but now I'm secure in where I'm at. I mean I'd love to go back and take some classes I missed out on and get into ball games for free. Of course there's things I'd do over again if I had the chance, but I'm content in how I navigated my early-to-mid twenties because it lead me here and I couldn't be happier.
But where I go from here? Well, that's a horse of a different color.
Wrestling with Mortality
I guess I'm still trying to figure out where life will take me, just in a different sense. I'm 36, a mom, and acutely aware that my body does not operate like it used to. Of course hangovers are harder. That's the least of my concerns. I'm worried about my physical well-being, the threat of disease, the condition of my heart and basically every other vital organ. The blinders of youth have officially fallen off and now I'm just desperate to be here to watch my daughter grow up and be here for her.
Among other reasons of course. But that's my number one.
Excuses, Excuses
Now's when I have to call myself out for being a hypocrite. How is it I'm sitting here worried about all this and yet I've let exercise fall as the sacrificial lamb on the altar of mom life? I'm obsessed with staying healthy for Harlow, yet it's the daily grind of trying to be Harlow's mom (and a blogger, truthfully) that's caused me to neglect working out. I've always got an excuse. Raise your hand if any of these sound familiar:
Gym day cares are full of germs and there's a virus going around.
My child's been in school all day so it's not fair to make them go to the gym day care after nap, they haven't seen me all day.
I'm so out of shape I'll just be bad at the workout and embarrass myself.
I have to work and I don't have time to workout, shower, and get ready.
I can't risk getting injured.
I'm chronically tired and don't have the energy to workout or get up early to squeeze it in, and I can't go at night because I have to put the kids down and that's when I have the wine I've been dreaming about since last night.
Some are valid, some are flimsy. But the big one for me personally is the health of my back. My family history includes lots of back problems and, unfortunately, surgeries. These are just facts that I can't avoid and frankly haven't processed until recently. Every time I try to refocus on a workout schedule my back acts up and throws the whole thing into the fire. Even yoga hurts it. I feel as frail as gosh dang Humpty Dumpty.
"Pilates is expensive exercise, but cheap therapy and surgery."
After lots of trial and error, I've finally found the ONE workout that works: pilates. It wasn't until recently I knew much about pilates beyond 100s and planks. I went to the new Club Pilates in Biltmore Park and tried my first reformer class. My thighs burned and my back didn't bother me once (!) between the reformer's support and the instructor looking out for me at every turn.
Y'all. I'm hooked.
And I'm committing.
Yep, I got a membership at Club Pilates because dang it I'm doing this. I need this. My body needs this, my soul needs this, and you know what, Brooke the mom needs this, too. I'm always a better mom when I take a break from parenting and sweat out some stress. During this break I get to focus on myself and not worry about deadlines or performance analytics. The Club Pilates studio is right next to Clean Juice, so I make a nice little date night with myself out of it!
I'm already working with the Club Pilates staff to create a regimen that fits both my goals and my physical limitations. I'm going to classes twice a week, beginning with the lower level Reformer classes and working up to the Cardio Sculpt and beyond once we've established what my body can handle.
I'll be totally honest: I want my jeans to fit better. I want to like myself better in shorts. And I'd ultimately love to finally feel confident enough to wear one of those cute leggings and sports bra matching combos without hiding my bulge under a loose tank.
But mostly, this is about strengthening my body and unplugging my brain, just for a little while. I know I'll be better at everything with the physical and mental benefits of regular exercise.
Mom life, work life, home life. We get ONE life. And I'm going to do everything I can to protect mine.
Guess Who's Hooking You Up With A Discount?
Club Pilates shares the same belief in protecting our precious bodies and lives as I do. That's why they've so generously offered my readers a 15% discount on their first month of membership! Just use code BROOKECP15 when you call them or come in. I'll be there right beside you (literally) and we can do this together! Because the other thing I don't get enough of is time with friends.
Thanks so much for coming by The Tony Townie today, and to Club Pilates for partnering on this post. Please know that all opinions expressed herein are my own, authentic and genuine. This is a journey I'm excited to take and I'm grateful for Club Pilates for believing in me.
xxBrooke
