Scrawny Arms, Endurance of a Sloth, & a Post-Baby Bladder

Still with me? Whether you may think it’s the way I eat, it’s a vitamin deficiency, anorexia, bulimia, or that I have a drug addiction (seriously, I’ve heard it all), the truth is, it’s just the way I am. I’m skinny. Always have been. The comments about my weight began early on and have never stopped. I’ve had family members concerned about me, teachers call me “a bag of bones,” and kinder souls compare me to Audrey Hepburn. I just came to accept the idea that I possessed a physique that many people strive for, and oftentimes, I thrived on the fact that I didn’t have to do a damn thing to achieve it. In my younger years, I took dance lessons, an appropriate place for a skinny girl, and continued through college. Being involved in physical activity is something I always enjoyed. From tag, to wall ball, to swimming, to field hockey, to high school soccer, to yoga and Pilates, I have been active in every stage of my life, and it made my small frame strong.

Until now.

I probably stopped regularly exercising around the same time I got a full-time job as a teacher–eight years ago. I’d go through spells where I’d workout on a schedule, but it wouldn’t last long. The “fattest” I’ve ever been (outside of pregnancy) was 130 lb, which I gained following our wedding, when we did nothing but eat at fancy restaurants and devour wine and craft-brewed beer.

Once I became pregnant, I stopped moving altogether. I gained 60 lb. over the course of my pregnancy and thought, for sure, that this was the part of my life where I’d join the ranks of women who complain of ill-fitting clothing and calorie-laden meals.

A week after my son was born, I was only 10 lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight.

So, here I am, two years postpartum, and I’m back to what I weighed in high school. But I don’t have any of the great muscle tone that came along with hours of dance rehearsals. I have NONE of the endurance that came along with daily mile-long runs at the start of soccer practice. And I sure as hell don’t have the strength of a person who regularly lifts weights (beyond lifting her 30 lb. two-year old off the top of the kitchen table).

I’m setting a goal to get stronger, get back my muscles, and increase my endurance. I am joining 25+ outstanding bloggers in the Go Green, Get Fit Challenge as part of the EcoMom Alliance Sustain YourSelf™ Program. We’re going to pump you up, support your goals, and talk about the challenges women face in maintaining lifelong fitness.

Here’s my plan:
1. Increase strength and endurance through cardio & weight training done at home.
2. Increase strength and endurance by kayaking once a week, at least 2 miles each paddle.
3. Take a paddleboard class and rent a paddleboard for personal use.
4. Experience a new form of exercise (I’m eyeing an aerial yoga class at a local studio.)

Join Us!
1. Like the Go Green Get Fit Facebook page.
2. Follow @GoGrnGetFit and #GoGreenGetFit & #SustainYourself on Twitter.
3. Get inspired by the Go Green Get Fit Pinterest board! (Which includes my personal fitness board entitled, “I Like to Move It Move It.”) 😉