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Alright, I think I need to have a separate journal for exercise to keep me honest

In my usual manner, I will have to tell a wordy story rather than just jump in with today's stats.

My relationship with exercise has been a bit tumultuous over the years. I played field hockey in high school but couldn't stand the runs we did to keep fit. I was always at the back walking with girls who looked to be in worse shape than me. I remember the second year into it I prepared and actually jogged in my neighborhood before the practice began. It helped a little, but sometimes it still killed me to go 2.5 miles...not far! I was particularly sensitive to temperature jogging. One time I swear a run on a sweltering day put me into an arrhythmia.

In college, I discovered aerobics. I fell in love with it. It was so much better because it didn't repetitively use the same muscles, over and over and over. It mixed it up. It was liking dancing; you flung yourself around in beat to the music. I found myself putting off my friends who wanted to go to happies until after I got my aerobics in. 4 or 5 times a week became my routine. And in those young days, makes me laugh, I could drink like a case of beer on the weekend and be ready to go for Monday aerobics, lol!!! Somehow, I was in the best shape of my life senior year and it was easy because that's how much I loved aerobics.

After college, I was anxious to find a gym to continue my routine. I was poor but I still found a reasonable gym. The problem was that their aerobics was way too easy after I had been accustomed to college level high impact aerobics taught by college instructors geared toward young healthy college girls. I tried, but I found myself just longing to be in one of my old classes.

So I took jogging back up. Again. And it wasn't any more fun this time around. Still hated it.

I would return to jogging over and over. Starting then quitting. Starting again. Quitting again. At my very best, I was consistent enough to run what may have been 3 miles on a regular basis. I believe I was able to do it because I loved the park that I ran in so much. It had a dirt trail to run on...much preferred. Woods with lots of shade. A beautiful stream so it was soothing scenery.

But then I moved. No more park. Still trying to jog, on roads now, and still hating it. Eventually, torturing myself with a treadmill.

Enter hypothyroidism and decreasing stamina. I just got worse instead of better.

Then I bought yoga tapes, Power Yoga with Bryan Kest. Much, much more to my liking!!! So flippin' hard, too! Did those for awhile, but my hypothyroidism kept taking me out of the game.

Fast forward to today-yoga is my new, old love. I'm back to those Power Yoga tapes but I feel like I have discovered them anew. The first time I did it a few months ago, I thought I would have a heart attack. It was frustrating as he**, but something made me stay with it. It got easier quickly. Well maybe not easier, but better. I'm inspired to go deeper because increased flexibility is such a tangible reward! And I'm really inspired by how nicely it has toned me. I lost a good amount of muscle mass with hypothyroidism(undiagnosed for 7 years). Right now, I'm building back up, reaching for that old body of mine!

So here's yesterday's stats:

54 minutes of Power Yoga II, Tone. Heart was a little racy, balance a little off, but it was a good workout despite that. I don't know names of poses because Kest doesn't use them much, but the one where you balance on one arm, your body making a crescent shape...I almost to the point where I can hold it the whole time without falling down. My right arm I can do it(just barely!) My left arm, I'm getting better, over half the time and often falling over not due to weakness but because of balance.

My hips are my weakest areas but yesterday I felt improved there. There is a section that starts with these lunges that put all your weight into your hips and end with a position called Prayer Twist. It is the hardest part of the tapes for me. I did okay yesterday, particularly on the left side.

So that's my exercise story.