::Gasp:: I actually enjoy the gym now.

It is a miraculous moment in time. I actually enjoy going to the gym! I never thought I would say that, but I do. I enjoy going to a place where I didn't think I would ever enjoy going too. I have always read and heard people say that they love it and when they don't go they feel like they have gain 20 pounds, and I just always thought they were crazy but I understand them now. I understand what it feels like to miss a few days and feel like your ass has grown two-fold since then. How is this possible that I can miss the gym when I dreaded it so much before? To be honest I don't know at the moment, but maybe while I tell you about my routine we can figure it out together.

First of all, I try to get to the gym as much as possible throughout the week. Some weeks are less than others because of my schedule, but typically I make it there 3 to 5 times a week. I had started out with a simple routine of I would do 30 minutes of Cardio on a machine, most of the time the elliptical, and then I would go and work all of the machines. These work various muscle groups and I always made sure I would work the opposite muscle group as well. This is because when you do certain activities you are working both sets of muscles and you have to make sure they are equally strong. Then I would always do my stretching before I left. This all usually takes and hour and a half to do. This was a good plan, and I could see the results starting in my waistline, and even in my thighs. When you have excess fat certain places it is very noticeable when some of it starts to shrink. So I did this routine for a good 4 weeks, and even got my cousin to join the gym with me. Then we decided to try something different.

It was time to try a class. Where I go to the gym they have several classes that you can take, but we thought we would try the "Middle Eastern Dance" class. AKA Belly-dancing. Maybe one day I will be this good. We were both kind of nervous when we got in there and the class started out painfully enough, with shoulder exercises and thigh exercises. We were even taught how to shimmy. With out hips, not with our chest. We did a belly-dancing version of the "Cupid Shuffle", and by the end of the class I was sweating, and some of my muscles hurt but the most important thing was I had fun. I really enjoyed the class. If you would have saw me the next two days after, you wouldn't believe that I enjoyed that class because I couldn't move an inch without something hurting or being in some kind of pain. I am pretty sure that day two after the gym I rolled out of bed, literally. But I still try to go every Tuesday and Thursday evening if my schedule will allow it, because it is a fun class that is a workout but I get to try and not so much succeed and looking graceful and sexy while shaking my hips. A couple of weeks ago, the instructor of the class was kind enough to give me a cd with all the songs on it that we dance to in class, so I can practice at home, so on the days I can't go I try my best to remember the the dances we learned to the songs and do them in my living room. I remember the warm-ups just fine, its just a couple of the dances I forget the moves. I even got a hip scarf to make it sound authentic.
Maybe I will get brave enough to post a video of my dancing when I learn a little bit more.

If you have ever wanted to try belly-dancing, you should. It is really fun and it doesn't feel like a work out at all, and I have noticed my waistline shrinking and all I have been doing is dancing. Okay that's not true, I still do my regular routine on the days that there isn't a belly-dancing class, but it is still fun. I am coming up with a plan starting new years, so once I get it into place I will post it on here.