I’m slightly embarrassed to tell you about my history with exercising. it looks a little something like this…
ali joins a gym. ali gets all super excited about the gym and actually! goes! ali falls in love with the inner and outer thigh machines. ali even gets brave enough to try a hip-hop class. ali cannot follow the steps. ali goes back to the machines. ali gets the plague or goes on vacation or has too many errands to run and can’t go to the gym. ali stops going to the gym. ali’s membership card sits in her wallet gathering dust. ali decides she doesn’t need the gym because winsor pilates and the 30-day shred are quick! and easy! and she can do them in the comfort of her own home. ali quits the gym.
lather. rinse. repeat. at least thrice.
until now.
i’m totally done playing games with the gym. the women’s gym is about to become my bitch. i’ve realized, over the last couple of months, that while yes, i am THIN and i wear a size 2, i am not healthy. my body is NOT healthy. step 1 was changing my relationship with food. instead of depriving myself of food and living off of rice cakes and coffee and candy and diet coke, i decided to eat good things like vegetables and hummus and quinoa and whole grains and yogurt (seriously, i had to train myself to eat yogurt. i have Miss Whoorl to thank for this….she introduced me to key lime yogurt and grape nuts. YUM!) and fill my body with things that are good for me. i want to be around for the long haul…and with a family history of things like diabetes (on both sides) and high blood pressure and heart attacks…
and now we’re moving on to step 2. Ali VS the gym.
i admit that only one day in, i have already hit some snags in the workout wear department.. when you work out at home, on your bedroom floor, you can wear – or not wear – whatever you like. but, when you work out IN A GYM, WHERE THERE ARE REAL LIVE SCARY, JUDGE-Y PEOPLE, i can no longer get away with my 6-year-old nikes that are falling apart and stained brown from the softball field. i can no longer get away with the sports bra that is at least a couple sizes too big.
so, please. help.
shoes and sports bra.
recommendations?
i must admit, i’ve been scouring shoes on the web…and am so super confused. do i need a running shoe? a cross-training shoe? what sort of shoe is ideal for working out inside of a gym?
oh, and while you’re recommending….good workout music? i may be doing a lot of watching the Young and the Restless while at the gym…since most days i’ll be getting there are exactly 4:30…but there will be times when music is necessary. so, off you go, recommend away. (please to not recommend Womanizer)
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