I realize that as a middle-aged woman, I must make it a point to move my body. It’s just plain wrong for me to settle for a sedentary lifestyle. Sitting still is not going to work for me as I journey on this side of my timeline. That’s why I have made a commitment to work out at least three days a week. 

I like the amenities of Lifetime Fitness, but I can’t seem to stay committed to working out there, even though I enjoy spending an hour on the fancy elliptical or joining the cardio-kickboxing class with this one trainer chick. My work out of choice is boot camp style with the ladies (and sometimes gentlemen) of True Image Fitness. There’s just something about working out with others in that narrow space that activates my spirit. I love it when our movements become synced. I love reaching that zone when my body is at its peak and I have to push past that feeling of wanting to stop. I love encouraging the group to do the same. I love how Kathy gets us and keeps us pumped with her firm, but loving instruction. (I can hear and see her now shouting at the top of her lungs with a smile on her face, “Yeahhhhhh!” I really try to model her when I do my thing because I believe that people need to be loved through the process of moving their bodies, especially because many of them haven’t moved in a long time or even at all.)  And of course, there are a couple of songs that make me way to excited!  Most of all I love it when we are encouraged to challenge ourselves to grow.

In the exercise world, which I am no expert on but rather a mere enthusiast, if you keep moving the same thing in the same way and never switch it up a little, there is a chance that your body will adapt to those movements. Your routine may not give you the results you want to see. You might get bored, and boredom can lead to demotivation. There’s this one exercise that I do on Thursdays that everyone absolutely hates. (You should see the looks that I get when I tell them it’s time to hit the floor.)  It’s called “The Swinger”. You are on your knees with your head up looking forward. You extend a leg straight back and then you just swing that leg out to the side. I like to do 2 sets of 10 reps on each side. If I am feeling especially pumped, we might repeat the move one mo’ ‘gain. It is the perfect butt, hip, and core move. And it is the perfect move that challenges everyone to grow.

I envision myself crossing the  finish line.

Here’s how this relates to GoneGirlGo: If I am going to see any results from my efforts developing this movement, then I have to resist the urge to do the same things that I have been doing and challenge myself to grow. I have to remain teachable. I have to switch it up a bit and make a paradigm shift in my thinking. I have to begin envisioning the outcomes that I want to see. I have to lean into some discomfort. I must have many more of those conversations that I dread having with myself. I have to push back the urge to want to quit all together. I might even have to let a few people go. You want to know what the coolest thing is about all of this? The fact I am surrounded on all sides by a fantastic group of loved ones who are praying, encouraging, pushing, igniting, loving, uplifting, and motivating me through it all. 

Let me leave you with a little poetry: If you are so compelled to push forward and go, I beseech you all to challenge yourselves to grow.