Monday 22 October 2012

Exercise and You: Let's Get Real

Let me start by saying that I love Pinterest. I visit it daily and have pinned my fair share. My boards are organized and awesome. What I don't have, however, are any pins that are exercise-related. I visit Pinterest because it's like mental crack; I get to fantasize and explore creative solutions! No part of me really wants to know how to "flatten that pesky lower stomach pooch". Not that I particularly like my lower stomach pooch that makes me look perpetually 4 months pregnant (oh yes, you know, the stage at which you are feeling like a clumsy blob). I just know that this involves hard work and consistency, which is something I'd just rather not deal with. Plus, I really do enjoy mentally heckling joggers (you crazy bastards).

To set things straight, I'm not a terribly unhealthy person. I've been a vegetarian for something like 14 years. I don't smoke or drink any wine whatsoever (the latter is a dirty lie). I consciously choose healthy food options for our family. I walk the dogs everyday and ride horses a couple of time per week. But, I'm generally non-committal about exercise regimes and drastic dietary changes; this girl doesn't need to make public declarations about my health. I'm afraid of failure, mostly. I did start practicing Pilates when I was 10 weeks pregnant with the last babe and it was awesome. I felt so good and eliminated most of my little aches and pains ... until the time came for labour and delivery, obvi. But, Pilates was so amazing that I returned to the studio when my son was a mere 4 weeks old and added some yoga classes in between.

So, what happened? Horses. They cost a lot. I decided to start riding again and couldn't shoulder the cost of both riding and Pilates classes. Passion won. My back hurts, I'm tired, and I smell like manure and horse sweat. Yum. I do feel the need to clear something up though: equestrian sports are, indeed, sports. Sometimes, of the extreme variety. My inner thighs are usually ON FIRE and my upper body is putting up quite a battle. I might be putting my bones on the line every time I tack up and help my teammate hurl himself over obstacles, but I'm having a good time. So, take your paleo-gluten-free-jogging self-righteousness elsewhere.

K, thx.

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