Day 10: Zumba

*Note: I actually wrote this last night on my iPad and then forgot to publish it!

Dear Friends,

I am writing to remind myself of something in the someday future.  Enjoying your workout is extremely important!  So, if you know me, and you probably do (who else reads this thing really?), I like to workout.  I'm motivated to run races and lift weights and spend time in the gym many times a week.  But often I find myself doing it because I should and not because I am really feeling the love.  That is not to say that afterwards I do not feel amazing and wonderful because I went to the gym, but on the front end I often procrastinate or even sometimes dread the upcoming workout.  I've gotten around this reaction by going to the gym in the morning before I'm really awake, or by going to the gym with a friend.  Previously I would go to the gym with Joey when it was an option, now I go with my roommate.  When I move out to my own apartment I'm thinking about switching gyms so that I can work out with some of my friends at work.

All that being said, I remembered last night how much having a FUN activity to look forward can be.  I went to zumba with a couple of friends from work, at 7:20pm, in the middle of my "downtime", and it was easy to get myself there, fun, hard, and wonderful.  Sometimes I get so caught up in the regimented rules that I create for myself that I forget being flexible and doing new things, and working out while dancing, makes me happy.  Happy is good.  I strive to be happy all the time.  But I seldom look for it in my physical activities.  I'm going to need to remember this and integrate fun into my workouts.  It would help my motivation and save my self-regulatory resources for more important things, like avoiding huge delicious desserts.

Love,
Amber

P.S. Today I am grateful for zumba, my friends, my Aunt Marsha again because when I ordered my Vega last week with her Amazon gift card they sent me the wrong flavor, so now I get to have another Vega delivered for the price of one!, my Mom and her new computer so that I can skype with her on a more regular basis, the productivity I've been having at work, and my Brother who is an amazing father, amazing student, and fun person.