I choose health and my 90 Day Challenge

Huff. Puff.

Excuse me as I catch my breath. Phew. That had to be the end of the work out.

"Great job warming up! Now, moving on to the upper body portion of this work out."

WHAT?

Whoever said being skinny and being fit are the same things is a big fat liar and his pants should catch on fire. 

I am on a mission. Actually, it's more of a challenge. A 90-Day Challenge. My six week postpartum check-up has come and gone, and I am cleared to work out.  I have been motivated to get back into shape since my husband started a health and fitness based business.  However having been pregnant, I wasn't sure what was allowed/ok to do during pregnancy. So, I decided to wait and started at six weeks postpartum exactly to work out.  And I have come to a definite conclusion.

I am incredibly out of shape.  Granted, I've spent the better half of the last three years pregnant, however I'm pretty sure that has less to do with it than my lack of stewardship in this area. I mean at Day One I was huffing and puffing through a twenty minute DVD! I barely made it out of the warm-up alive! (Yes, the introduction to this post is indeed a real-life conversation in my head) I'm not exactly doing P90X or Insanity here.  Just a sweet little Ballet/Pilates workout.  And I'm ashamed to admit that I didn't finish that first day.

But, I am here at day six and can say that I am making it very much alive through the warm-up, the huffing and puffing has been reduced to the appropriate (loud) inhaling and exhaling they're always talking about and I have made it through the workout 5 out of 6 times.  That first time, it's always the hardest and the most defeating if you let it dictate your motivation.  Thankfully I overcame the first workout blues (though, I have to say... I was a little more than depressed at the my end of it) and am very slowly seeing improvements.  It's all about commitment and baby steps for me.  But, I have a goal. Several goals actually.

Goal number one: The DVD I own is broken up into 3 segments (besides the obvious warm-up and cool down).  By the end of the 90 days I will be able to complete all 3 segments, warm up and cool down.  And look graceful while doing it too. :)

Goal number two:  By the end of the 90 Days, I will have created an "activity" habit.  I will be active every day (though "working out" will happen closer to 4 times a week) and incorporate my babies.

Goal number three:  By the end of the 90 Days I. Will. RUN. a. mile

So. I want to encourage you.  Getting healthy and being fit has less to do with the outward appearance and more to do with an inward change.  It's kind of how Christianity works, the inward change manifests itself in outward appearance. Looking good and being "skinny" are great goals, but won't keep you motivated through those embarrassing and I-just-can't-do-it-please-leave-me-alone-while-I-inhale-an-entire-tub-of-ice-cream moments. I am skinny.  But I am nowhere near fit and healthy.  And that's why I'm choosing the 90 Day Challenge.  Because when I do that, I'm choosing health.