Feel the Burn

For the past few weeks, I've gotten back into my exercise regimen. Yes, I realize that I go through a phase like this every year, and in the past I've always fallen off the wagon and stopped exercising after a week or so. But, so far, I've been very disciplined and have kept up with my workouts for the past four weeks. I lift weights about four days a week. Because I started lifting weights in high school, my muscles have good memory and are able to get back into shape relatively quickly. Even though I might be sore for the first few days, it's usually not long before I start to feel stronger.

On my "off" days when I'm not lifting weights I either rest or do some other type of exercise. Because I don't have the greatest flexibility or balance, I decided to try my hand at yoga. And, yes, I was also inspired by seeing how great and beautiful some of my friends look as a result of yoga. I wanted to start out slowly and start with some yoga that focused on stretching/flexibility and relaxation. After all the stretching, it feels great to not feel stiff all the time. The relaxation part is also important to me, because I occasionally have problems sleeping and, naturally, I'm often stressed because of work. I'm just following some videos, but after the first "session" I felt really good. I've since tried a few different videos that focused more on balance or strength and endurance. It's surprising how something that looks so simple and easy can really work your muscles and make you feel really sore the next day.

So, after these past few weeks of yoga and working out, I've been feeling really good. And I think that it's something that I'll actually stick to for a change, because it's something that I actually look forward to and I don't see it as something I "have" to do. And, if I may be so egotistical to say so, I think I'm starting to look pretty darn good, too!