If you have been following me on the blog, you would have learnt that I've been doing Pilates once a week for the last year. I love it - and I love the effects it has on the aches and pains that plague me daily. In fact, because of hamstring stretches et. al. during these classes and the once-in-a-blue-moon times I do my pilates at home, my plantar faschitis is long gone. Um...once I keep up with the stretches and exercises. The problem though, is that I am quite a fickle person and Pilates, once exciting to me, is starting to feel a bit boring. It's still challenging, don't get me wrong, and my body DEFINITELY knows when I've missed a class or two...or three...or definitely four...but as much as I love pilates and will continue to do it, I sort of want to mix it up a bit, because I lose my motivation once things get boring.
When I was in Toronto, I went to a hooping class in an attempt to add a little excitement to my (then) non-existent exercise routine. I loved it. Can I say loved it? LOVED IT. Unfortunately, at the time, it took an hour to get to the class - which, my dear Londoners who are going "..and? It takes me at least 2 just to get to work in the morning..." is a long time to get somewhere within Toronto. Yes that long daily commute thing is definitely a London phenomena. Anyway, the point is that I loved doing something different and fun but this particular class was a bit far for me to travel just to go to a class. Or perhaps I was just not motivated to exercise enough back then. The hooping class not only reminded me of how much I loved hula hooping as a child, but challenged me with weighted hula hoops of all sizes. And guess what. The bigger hula hoops were a bit easier to handle and are the beginner's hoops. I remember that the one that I had to use was so big that I kept hitting walls with it. So much for coordination.
At the time, I also had a friend who was addicted to her work out which was Kangoo. Have you heard of it? Kangoo participants wear these special shoes that allow them to jump...well...like kangaroos, while working out. Highly aerobic and highly addictive, my friend enjoyed it so much that she ended up travelling throughout the US and Canada with her Kangoo team to do competitions and displays. She was nuts about it and I would absolutely love to try it but cannot seem to find a class nearby that would fit into my schedule (if you know of any here in London please do let me know!). If you're looking for something fun and different - that's definitely an option....google it, there's an entire worldwide Kangoo movement out there!
Another idea I had was to do Aerial Silks. I've been obsessed with specific modes of elegant moving since I was a child - I've always admired ballerinas, ice skaters, ice dancers, gymnasts and yes, trapeze artistes. The first time I ever got excited about the possibility of doing this was when I learnt that Cirque du Soleil was from Montréal and have a training facility there. I imagined myself flying through the air elegantly flexing into sophisticated shapes and poses. More recently, I found that I can do them here, right in Croydon - and not just aerial silks, but aerial hoops, slings and static trapeze! Oh be still my heart. I haven't reached to try a class yet, but I do have a credit there waiting for me that I really should use. I promise, sooner rather than later!
Most lately, while I was at my Slimming World group, I learned about this trampoline dancing fitness class being held right there in Kingstoon Upon Thames. Unfortunately it is during the day in the week or I would definitely have been there lickety split. I was disappointed, but figured that if it were meant to be something would come up. And come up it did! My new partner-in-crime (sometimes), Bei, posted on her Instagram a photo of her after a trampoline dancing fitness class right there in Putney! I can definitely make that one and you know what? I just very well might within the next two weeks! After all, it can't just be a coincidence that I learned about it and then someone I know fairly well completely had an awesome time doing it?! That reminds me, I have to sign up for the new term for pilates as well.
It is said that to maintain a healthy lifestyle and to keep your weight in check, you should exercise three times a week (at a minimum of 30 minutes each time). I know I don't live up to this expectation and I do struggle to exercise enough. After all, I have a desk job and do an average of between 4000 and 6000 steps a day when the healthy range is 10 000 steps a day. I need to up my game an up it fast.....and with the pilates helping the pain, I think I can add a few more things to my repertoire. So here's what I've decided. I'm going to keep doing my pilates for the core strength, flexibility and pain reducing advantages. I'm going to try to add one night of swimming at the nearby gym/community centre (perhaps on a Monday?) per week and I'm going to try to find a class that will allow me to electrocute my boring exercise routine a bit. After all, variety is the key to life and it is so easy to spice up your exercise routine with all the new fitness trends available (and I've only touched on very few of the choices).
How do stay motivated to keep active?