I march to the beat of my own drum. I always have, and probably always will. Because of that, I've sought to find pass times which I can control on my own time and my own density. Fitness has ultimately been the forerunner of this empowerment.
First, it started with simple trips to the gym every few days while I was in high school. I did it mostly to keep pesty hormonal weight off. As my senior year came to a close, however, I became a gym rat. Except I hate the word rat, so I've delicately renamed it into a sweeter euphemism: cardio bunny. Ah, yes, I am a cardio bunny (sounds cute, right?!)
Unfortunately, through rapid spread of Reddit boards and fitness bloggers, being a cardio bunny is not a good thing. It means that you embrace health solely through the action of running (or ellipitcal-ing, stair-mastering, ect). Over the past year I've conquered my fear of the 5k and slowly but surely inched my way to a 10k. This recent transformation left me feeling confident, energetic, and loving what my body could do. As someone on a limited time schedule, I liked that I could go to the gym, run a few miles, and be back for dinner and a night of studying. As someone who is normally a leader and not one to ask for help, I liked that I could control what pace I ran at, and how far I actually ran.
But most recently, I realize that being fit is taking a step out of your comfort zone. Although hammering down marathons is definitely a way to stay in shape, it doesn't mean that it's the only thing my body needs. I needed strength training, I needed flexibility, and I needed endurance.
So to tackle one by one. Flexibility: I've signed up for yoga classes at a nearby studio on campus. Check. Weight lifting and HIT (high-intensity training): I have my first class tomorrow at The Fhitting Room; I will post later to let you know how much it kicks my butt (in a good way, of course). And finally, endurance: this past weekend I experienced my very first Soul Cycle ride.
I had a coupon for a free class at the East 83rd Street spot (which, by the way, is nicely snuggled next to a Juice Generation, Just Salads, and a brisk walk away from the Met -- perfect for the school assignment I had to end the day with). I'm not going to lie and say I wasn't nervous, because I totally was. I knew I was in pretty good shape, but I never, ever take fitness classes. Being with a group while working out? Gulp.
Once I got there, although I felt out of place, the environment was super upbeat, and the studio was stylish in decor ( and the workout apparel is awesome, by the way). During the class, I definitely struggled to get the hang of things. I felt discouraged by the fact that I didn't know a lot of the choreography when it came to the moves that they do, and I'm 90% sure the lady put my seat WAY too high -- a common mistake when you see someone my height (but seriously, my butt is STILL sore from how uncomfortable it was). Besides the pain I'm still experiencing in my back/butt/legs from never having put that type of stress on it, I have to say, it was a pretty intense workout, and the 45 minutes flew right by. There are no clocks, and the music is fun and motivating, so it felt more like an empowering dance party than it did a cycling class -- especially as I realized that watching everyone else work their butts off actually encouraged me to keep going (power of the pack, yo). At the end, the instructor directed us to a relaxing stretch session, so that was a plus, as it helped calm my nerves (and my sweat) after my nearly traumatizing first ride.
Overall, I never felt pressured to do anything, nor did the instructor ever single me out, so it felt okay to take a break whenever I needed. However, there was also a downside to this, because whenever I needed help or felt lost, I didn't get it. A more intimate class setting or a smaller number of people in the class might have made it easier to adjust.
I don't think I'll be paying for classes anytime soon (because, like, I'm a broke unpaid intern/college kid), but if I could, I would definitely try it again to see if I could catch up to speed with everyone who went regularly. If you're interested in going for a test run (or should I say cycle, hehe) you can visit their website, soul-cycle.com, and see if there's a location near you. They have spots all over New York City and California, with a few in New Jersey and Connecticut also.
I don't think I'll be paying for classes anytime soon (because, like, I'm a broke unpaid intern/college kid), but if I could, I would definitely try it again to see if I could catch up to speed with everyone who went regularly. If you're interested in going for a test run (or should I say cycle, hehe) you can visit their website, soul-cycle.com, and see if there's a location near you. They have spots all over New York City and California, with a few in New Jersey and Connecticut also.
Anyways, there are the chronicles of my ~adventurous~~ weekend. And, of course, it would be wrong to ignore the fact that I probably ruined the fruits of my workout when I ended up at brunch the next morning at Sarabeth's, stuffing my face with bran muffins and strawberry preserves. But hey, it sounds classy at least, right?!
Back to studying, until tomorrow at least :)
