Another Plug for the Y

What is it about the girls being in school that makes me so verbose? Maybe because my mind is allowed to wander free for most of the day without whiny interference? I do have to say that I am delighted every afternoon when they get home.
Anyway, last week was perfect. I had just gotten home from a great vacation, alone, with my family and the girls were in school. I was able to start digging the house out from under the summer mess. There was only one fly in my ointment, our local Y was closed for a week for its annual maintenance and the start of a 6 month renovation. I heard that our Y is the largest in Texas, which must be saying something and now they are going to make it bigger! Luckily, it will be open during the building.
I ended up driving down to TD's Y because one other Y was closed as well and another one was technically closer, but not after drive time. It was okay, but it made working out more of an endeavor that it normally is. But it is always worth it.
While in Medford, I was talking to my brother, who is now a physician's assistant, about my exercising. That and the fact that my parents are always giving me a hard time about my weight. I told him how important it was for my family for me to stay healthy and avoid major medical problems. Once again, the one kidney thing came up and I reminded him that diabetes and high blood pressure are the two quickest ways to destroy my only one. He told me not to let them bother me about it any more. It's not like I am at an unhealthy weight.
I also appreciate how TD supports me and doesn't think it's a waste of my time to spend an hour a day at the Y, instead of the other things I could be doing. He's the one who encouraged me in the beginning when I first started. I was bemoaning my after baby belly and he told me the only way it was going to go was to start running. Ugh! There was nothing I hated more than running. Once, in high school, they tried to recruit me for long distance running on the track team. I explained to them that the only way I got a good time was because I wanted it to be over.
But I worked my way up to running at a good clip and he was right. And I started actually enjoying it.
Exercise is something for you to do that is in the best interest of you and your family. Being in better shape will help you withstand things like the upcoming flu season and being able to take care of your family.
Oh! I highly recommend Oprah's book with her trainer Bob Greene. He explains the levels of exercise that helped me understand that I needed to be working harder. A walk around the block wasn't going to be effective enough when it came to getting rid of the fat. I used to be one of those girls who said she never sweated. It was just because I wasn't working hard enough. Now my body is so in tune that when I hop on a cardio machine I just start dripping. And I LOVE that!