Welcome to the Not Just a Mom Link Up hosted by myself, Adrienne, Jen, Joanne, Lauren, and Sarah! This month, we are talking about our favorite work out places. I may be revealing my lack of work out prowess when I tell you I can only think of three work out places in general – at home, outside, and at the gym. I guess you could name different gyms, but I’ve only ever been a member of one gym at a time and those have been my option at the time I was a member! And you could name different outdoor locations, but I’m lazy. I run the same route every time. So how about a look back at my history of working out?
1. I think I’d say the first time I “worked out” was when my high school gym glass had a semester where we used the weights and equipment during class. I seem to recall getting in trouble for talking to my friends rather than actually using the equipment.
2. In college, we had a really great gym with classes and a few times I tried to get myself together with learning to use the equipment / attending classes / etc. Two things I can recall from that time – I went to the gym without eating first and almost threw up or passed out, and once a friend was trying to get me to come to the gym and I just said “I don’t go to the gym.” I guess that was it for that time period!
3. After I got married, I took karate for awhile. I guess that can count as a work out.
4. The next gym I joined was one similar to Curves, but an off brand. I joined with someone I worked with and we went every so often. I would also walk around with the kids in the stroller but I wouldn’t say I was doing it for work out purposes.
5. Next I joined an all women’s gym which I liked a lot. They had a step class that I liked. I did my first couch to 5k using the treadmills there. They also had a pool and I did water aerobics which was fun. They had a childcare room and Gabbie and Zachary went. The first time I brought Zachary he was so upset that he threw up. But then he became the kid who didn’t cry when I brought him to preschool, so that worked!
6. When we moved to Kansas, we joined the gym at the JCC. They did a customized work out plan with me where you could put in a key of sorts and the machines would know what your program was supposed to be. That was pretty cool. I also liked their classes. But then I got pregnant again…
7. We were members of a different local gym for many years and I attended classes there in the evenings when the kids were younger and in the mornings after they started school.
8. Dave and I trained for a half marathon so we used to run together for longer runs. I must have run on my own when he was at work but I don’t really remember.
9. At some point I had a yearly unlimited membership to Beachbody. I did like it at the time.
10. During Covid, I started running outside and now that is basically all I do for exercise. We rejoined the JCC and I have taken a few classes there, but I mainly just jog.
The year that I lost all the weight, I realized that I hadn’t changed what I was doing for working out, I just changed what I was eating, and that was what helped (I ate very low carbs / low calories). I wish working out would help because I’ve gained back a lot of the weight I lost and I can’t imagine going back on such a strict diet – although I may have to!
You can link up your posts about your favorite work out places here, and come back next month when we’re sharing about how we host!
Where do you like to work out?
