habits...

I am a person of habit.  I love routines and rhythms to my days, and thrive on knowing what is to come. Once something is part of my daily routine, it usually stays there for quite a while.  But if it falls out, then fitting it back in is a challenge.

That's where I've been with blogging lately.  It just fell out of my daily habit, and when I don't write regularly, I feel like I have nothing to say.  It's that unused muscle that atrophies.  And even though I miss writing, re-starting is difficult.

But there's another habit that has taken a spot in my days that I'm pretty excited about - exercise. Over the last two-three years I have flirted with running, doing the C25K program and using our treadmill.  But no matter how long I've been running, I still don't really enjoy it.  I enjoy being done with my run, but not the running itself. And I dread lacing up.

To put it mildly, it's tough for me to be consistent with running.

So, in January I joined a gym.  I hoped that adding variety to my workouts would help my motivation. And my budget is tight enough that I am not willing to spend money on something I don't use, so the financial push is there, too. On the advice of friends on facebook, I chose the one closest to my house that had what I was looking for: a lap pool (saltwater), classes at times I can attend, and childcare.

Since joining, being at the gym has become a habit. I'm there 5-6 days a week.  Three Zumba classes for cardio, two or three strength training days, and maybe a swim or run thrown in there for good measure. Some days it's right before dinner, others it's after the boys go to bed. It's just part of my day now. 

Having a routine with exercise has made a huge difference for me.  It's the first time in my life I have exercised consistently for 4 months straight. I don't have to think about what I am going to do or how I am going to avoid it - and I miss it on my rest days. The employees at the gym even know my name before they check me in. That's a real first.

(All of this isn't to say that things are perfect.  My yearly goal of getting "lighter" isn't happening, despite all the exercise and fairly strict meal plans.  But I am starting to build muscle tone and have lost a couple of inches. And I'm using this as my chance to learn patience.)

I hope to return to a habit of blogging.  But know if I'm not here, it may be because I'm at the gym.