So let me tell you about me
 

Ok, this thread isn't really as egocentric as the title might suggest, but it's what came into my head when I opened the page, so that's what I'm running with :)

In the Summer I signed up for a course in Irish ceilih dancing. I was just back from a holiday on the Emerald Isle and had become a bit smitten with the place (much to the bemusement of my Irish friend with whom I had visited the place). The first day rolled around, I came home pretty tired from work, and decided to take a quick nap before going to class.

Then I woke up a full ten minutes after it had begun. :tired:

You can imagine the havoc this played with all my issues, but somehow (I honestly don't know how) I still managed to get myself there the next week. And it killed me (only not literally). I was sensible enough not to try and do the warm up exactly as the teacher was (my knees haven't gone that high since...er....), but after a long while of near inactivity...well let's just say I went home exhausted, but on SUCH a high!

Anyhow, this week I went for the third time, and once again I came home with MORE energy than I had when I had left for class. It's a great feeling! I'm thinking about going to the step dance classes on another evening in the week, simply because my inner perfectionist insists on me doing the steps better (even though in ceilih it's more about skipping around, having fun, and if you get to the right place at the right time, so much the better ;)) and there's only so much I can learn from YouTube.

In addition, because dancing is mainly cardio, it's pushing me to go to the gym for core stability work (weights, stretching, and Pilates/Body Balance). Somehow going to the gym for the sake of going to the gym isn't enough for me (anymore), but going to make dancing easier and more fun - that works.

Similarly, I look at food differently. Thoughts are beginning to creep into my head like: will this make me stronger, or jump higher? I know we all know what you eat is more important than what you do in terms of losing weight, but sometimes the motivation goes the other way round.

Oh well, that's my recent blather. If you can't seem to get yourself moving - for whatever reason! - try something different, dare to do something you've always wanted but somehow never had the guts to try, and you might just be surprised :)

Good for you! Dance class sounds really fun. Whatever it takes to motivate us, is a good thing.

That sounds so fun. Great job for keeping at it and even better at letting it influence you into better fitness overall :)

That's great, salsa chip! What a cool hobby! :carrot::carrot::carrot:

I had a similar experience when I was involved in martial arts - wanting to do well on the mat helped me make better choices at the table and in the gym. Man, looking forward to have the time to get back into that again!

Thanks guys!

I'll admit, it really is a struggle to decide to get out of the house after a long day at work and head over to the class. The knowledge that I'll feel good for it isn't an automatic ticket to actually overcoming the inclination to stay at home - and I don't think that's going to get any easier as winter rolls in.