Got Some Fit.

Hammerfit.

Seven am.

Treadmill.

One hour.

Done.

Next?

It's a Wrap!

I enjoy Zumba but am not a regular attendee.

Anyone and anything that forms positive community, however, gets my vote.

My own personal family spent Thanksgiving collecting bucks for a family. I'd told my mother and aunt about Allison and Darcy heading up the Zumba's Neighbors Helping Neighbors.

They were really excited and had ideas for what to get. At the Thanksgiving dinner table we collected money. My kids and I went shopping when we got back to Vermont.

We bought coats and shirts and socks and toys for one family and had a really nice time deciding what people might like to receive for the holidays.

Today we wrapped everything with the Zumba folks at Essex Outlets.

The things we'd purchased were nothing compared to the pile of gifts that were added to it all.

Women kept on walking in the door, carrying food, presents, gift wrap, tape, more food, more presents, more gift wrap, more tape.


My son spent the afternoon with us. Seemingly against his will but taking photos, nonetheless.

Allison's daughter organized the groceries and got food packed up. Jessica's daughter packed food for families. My daughter packed food for families. Jessica's sister wrapped presents. Hannah's daughters made pictures. Darcy's daughters made pictures. 

The sense of community was rich and full and thriving.


What we did for other families may not be as powerful as what we did for our own.



Today I worked out at Hammerfit.

I did Zumba.

I did Zumba because it was so fitting to top the day off with more of that same community.

Store front wrapping space provided by Essex Outlets. Flatbread Pizza provided by Rustico's. Community provided by Zumba.

Sumpin' for a Saturday!

Whew.

Got my tail in gear this morning.

Hit the treadmill.

Fifty minutes at a good clip.

I know it's not exciting. I know it's not fantastic.

But I got there. I worked out.

Done!

Saw my fit friend duo....Heather and.....Oh, man...forgot this guy's name. Nice folks.

They are consistent.

And they are strong.

How bout you?

You consistent?

You strong?

Friday Hits While Annie Sits

I haven't exactly been sitting but it rhymed really well!

I last set foot inside of Hammerfit on Sunday. This is not the pace I was looking to set.

So. New plans on the horizon.

Lisa White Harrison (amazing photographer of newborns,  www.lisaharrisonphotography.com) says she'll come work out with me.....

Tracey Medeiros (amazing author of Dishing Up Vermont, Click here for Tracey's Amazon.com book link) says she'll join me.....

Add to the fact that Sue has already worked out with and off we go!  This is a great plan!

I'm known for being on time for appointments. If I meet up with people at Hammerfit (and I'm sure I need to add Tracy the Trainer to my Google Calendar), I'd absolutely show up.

I get it now, how people always say they don't have time. It's not truly that they don't have time. It's that they haven't been creating time for working out and it's hard to find your way into it.

Creating time for Hammerfit.

So Hammerfit can get Annie fit.

Sunday with Backup

Friday and Saturday didn't see me hit Hammerfit but my friend, Sue, got me in there on Sunday.

With some guidance, I worked harder than I had the time before because she was moving faster than I was and I wanted to keep up.

Along with the workout I'd done on Thursday, I added a few things like a ball wall sit (thanks, Sue!) and some interesting ab work.

While I was doing leg extensions, I saw a man and a woman working out in unison/harmony.

They were, at that time, doing pushups up and over a step bench.

It was really amazing, fluid and inspiring.

As the morning progressed, these two fit friends were a pleasure to watch in action. They were focused, enjoying themselves and pushing one another to do more. In a kind and generous way. Fantastic.

After an hour of machines and weights (and some abs and step work), I joined Tory's Zumba for ten minutes before I had to go.

Tory's class was, as usual, full.

Not just full but full of people getting their sweat on. Such hard workers and no one backing off.

Unbelievable.

Tory herself is just a ball of energy and watching her makes you want to join in.

Janet is, simply, Sunday Morning Sunshine. 

Here,  Janet shows off the Hammerfit Specials!

After our workout, Sue and I went to coffee at Sweet Clover Market.

Where, by the way, you can probably get every teacher present you'd possibly need. Such nice, inexpensive gifts all over the store.

Loved our coffee, too!

Thanks!  When are YOU working out with me at Hammerfit?

(Jack Lemmon's Mom is FIT!)

Get Your Workout On!

Leg Press. Check!

Leg Extensions. Check!

Bosu Ball Balance Squats. Check!

On it went. I did every single thing on my list, today. Tracy-less. Solo.  I spent one solid hour working out.

I can't believe that I LOVED it.

I don't know. I actually thought I'd just walk in and get on a treadmill and kind of skip the rest.

Not the case.

I think that Tracy's approach was so devoid of pressure that I enjoyed CHOOSING this workout.

I never, once, felt like it was about how Tracy felt or that her desire for me to do the workout was greater than my own desire might have been.

You know how people will put so much pressure on you to do something that it loses its integrity? The very thing itself?

When someone (Tracy) allows you the space to choose for yourself, you're more likely to want to choose it and to choose it with enthusiasm.

LOVED it.

Special shout outs to:

Chrystal for her help in printing up my workout for me so I didn't have to carry the Mac book from station to station.

June for the perfect words during my lunges...."Don't let momentum take over."

Thanks, all!

Have a fantastic night.

Get your workout on, people!

Wednesday Wuh Woh

Wuh Woh Wednesday.

My brief run into Hammerfit today was to get my daughter signed up for a Zumba class and buy the OH SO GREAT 20 pass Zumba card for her.

Do you realize that if you buy this pass (and you're a member) it costs only six fifty per class?

Maybe I'll sneak a class or two offa her pass, why not?

She loves the dancey aspect of Zumba.

Okay.

Thursday's looking good for some treadmill and some workout.

Ready?

Tuesday Tucker

A busy work day with a neglected exercise routine.

I got a great workout in at work by utilizing a creation I am calling the streamline rope.

I'm sure Tracy would have approved the bicep work!

That being said, it seems to me I need a schedule.

Did you get your fit on, today?

Monday Mission

My Mondays are pleasanty full. As are Tracy's.

We fit an hour into the middle of our day.

Again, I can't say enough about Tracy's professionalism. I can easily talk someone right off track. Tracy was polite but never once wavered from her mission.

I was unsure and stalling, at some points. Tracy kept me on task and didn't let me get away with a thing. Kindly. Generously. Skillfully listening to me the entire time.

I did thigh work, leg work, squats, lunges and more. Things I would not, in a hundred years, choose to do.

And the time went by with ease. What was actually sixty minutes felt like less than twenty. Maybe like fifteen.

I have a list of things to work on.

I'm tempted to say I'd like to utilize Tracy as a personal trainer. I never understood that, before. Thought it was not for me.

After the easy simplicity with which I worked out today, I "get" it.

I went back to the pool to teach after our hour together. I think the kids had Magic for breakfast because things were incredibly successful (as they had been in the morning, too).

(Monday, written Tuesday:)

I got home. Wolfed dinner. Fell asleep at, maybe eight pm? Woke up at five.

Methinks this exercise thing is a good idea.

Peace. Out.

Sunday Morning Stroll

I took a Sunday morning stroll on the treadmill at Hammerfit.

I loved it! (I could use some speed, though!)





I could hear Tory's awesome music coming from the packed Zumba room.

(Made my day to see Jen Perren Zumba-ing away in there!)




















Favorite sight sees:

• The mix of dedicated Moms getting up and out on a Sunday morning to Zumba, along with the dedicated teens getting up and out on a Sunday morning to Zumba. It was really great to see a few Athletic Leadership Council students from EHS come out amongst the rest of the crew.
• The bemused look on the guy's face behind me as I tried to make sense of a machine. (I spent four and a half minutes doing I don't know what. It made me laugh. A lot. Good thing I have an hour of personal training with Tracy DeBrita tomorrow! Can't wait!)
• Me using two 3 pound dumbbells next to a woman hoisting two 40 pound dumbbells. I was giggling, internally. She was completely professional. Did her thing, never judged me once. Fantastic.

I have never truly used a gym, before. (Outside of my high school and college swim team lifting.)

I've had many memberships, simply through my employee status. Just never utilized one. 

 It's kind of nice, the social scene.

Okay, Tracy.

Bring it. 

Lessgo!

Numbers/Ratings!

While my morning didn't go according to plan, I do have the results of my assessment from Tracy.

(She'd sent them along forty five minutes after I left the building. Again, Tracy's professionalism and attention to detail impress me.)

As you'll see, I'm not wildly unfit. I am, however, wildly less fit than I have been, heretofore in my life.

I look forward to ONLY ratings of EXCELLENT, ASAP.

Imma skip the whole what I weigh thing because I'm not struggling with weight/numbers, just fitness.

Heading for a treadmill in the morning!! For realz! Night, folks!

Ratings are :

Excellent/Good/Above Average/Average/Below average/Poor/Very poor

1) Blood pressure and resting pulse at start  118/82  pulse 64  GOOD

2) Body Fat %  21.38%   27.16 lbs of body Fat  99.84lbs of lean muscle GOOD

3) Three minute step test  B.P. and Pulse  121/78  pulse 75  EXCELLENT

4) Push up test * how many in one minute 20   GOOD

5) Crunch test how many in one minute 32   GOOD

6) Flexibility test (avg of three) 12/75”      POOR

Off We Go!

Tracy DeBrita walked in the door, double-checked everything and started my mini-assessment  precisely at 8:30 a.m. Highly professional, very thorough and very kind, Tracy took the time to measure and check on everything.

Tracy did express some surprise at the percentage of the F word on my biceps. (Phat).

I ain't so fit! That's why I'm at Hammerfit!

It was really fun to go through these things.

While doing the push up test, I would easily have stopped at around five (bent knees on floor, yes!) and Tracy was really kind and her words were so encouraging that I actually did nineteen or twenty.

I've never had a personal trainer but if I were to choose one, it'd be someone who spoke to me kindly.

Favorite sightsees:

• Young girl doing squats with a bar across her shoulders. Her posture was fantastic. Made me want to do it, too!
• Elderly couple walked over to the step. Husband guiding the wife, with great care and kindness. The wife did quite a few steps up and down while he supported her on her left side. Amazing.
• Got to see Allison's Zumba crowd heading in while I did a quick eight minutes on the treadmill. Thanks for the stop-by, Hannah Deene Wood!

Thanks, Hammerfit and Tracy, for getting me started on a road I absolutely need to be going down.

Got my eye on a seven a.m. treadmill!  

Hammerfit Gets Annie Fit

I don't exercise.

I have not exercised in well over three years. I may leap into an occasional Zumba class but I, literally, do not exercise.

I've found such great joy in my life and in my work that it hasn't occurred to me to exercise. For three years.

I know that many think I swim. Not so much. I mean, heavens knows I can swim. I just don't.

Maybe I'll swim a few strokes for demonstrational purposes. But I don't really swim, much.

I teach. And teach. And teach. And teach. And I love it. So much. More than I'd have words to explain.

The joy I find in teaching has overtaken any need in me to exercise.

________________________________________

Tomorrow, that changes.

Tomorrow I begin to Get Fit with Hammerfit.

I'm so excited, I can barely contain myself.

Tracy and I are meeting at eight thirty tomorrow morning for a physical assessment.

We'll see how brave I am to publish all the numbers! Ha!

Okay. Ready?

Let's watch while Hammerfit Gets Annie Fit!