By Angella from Committed: The Ties That Bond and Dutch Blitz

I should start this off by saying that I am in no way at all an expert on fitness. I am just a woman who has managed to, for the most part, fit exercise into her life for the past nine years.

My first true stint at exercising was when I was a newlywed living in Vancouver. There was a gym next to my office and I would attend exercise classes either before work or during my lunch hour. My firm promoted fitness and allowed me a longer lunch in order to go to class.

The following year my husband and I moved to a (very) small town. There were no fitness classes and I wanted to stay in shape. He bought me a book on running and trained with me as I built up my stamina. Once I could run without stopping he quit running with me altogether. He hates running with all of his being but had done it to help me get started. He’s a keeper, indeed.

We are now three (And no more!) kids in, and figuring out fitness while pregnant/post-partum is difficult. I can testify to that fact. There is a season for everything, but sometimes it is not “exercise season”. After my third child was born, exercise went on the back burner. I had a not-quite four-year-old boy, a just-turned two-year-old boy and a just-came-out-of-my-hoo-ha girl.

Exercise was on hold.

I was able to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight via good eating habits (and also, the flu), but once my baby girl was about a year old I started to long for that fit body I used to have. To have the strength I used to have. To beat this body of mine back into the shape it was destined to be in.

I signed up for a Boot Camp now offered at the community center in our wee town and have not looked back. Except to check out my finally-firm-again booty.

Through the stages I have lived through these past nine years, I have had to adapt my fitness routine. It has changed along with me, and I want to give you some ideas. Because once you have your husband pat you on the butt and exclaim, “NIIIIIICE”, you want to keep it up.

1. Sign up for a class.

I am a person that likes the commitment. If I have paid for something, you better believe that I am going to BE THERE. I am frugal, yes, but it is also about the accountability. In the past nine months I have only missed a few Boot Camp sessions. I had the (achy) flu and was on the couch. The next class all of the girls were asking, “Where were you?”

Accountability. It works.

2. Re-define “Power Lunch”

While pregnant with my second son, I was working in an office (I’m an accountant. Pity welcome). I was afraid to run while pregnant so chose instead to power walk. I changed into good runners and yoga pants and booked it for thirty to forty minutes.

I did not get to the “sweaty pig” stage, but got my heart rate up to a good level. It helped me keep my pregnancy weight gain to the recommended level, so that was an added bonus.

3. Break out the DVD’s

After my second child, I purchased the Billy Blanks Tae Bo DVD (Yes. Yes, I did). While his unitard was a little distracting, as was his dialogue (Reach up to your Higher Power and ask him to GIVE YOU SOME), the workout itself was good.

While I have been attending Boot Camp (See point #1), two days a week just wasn’t cutting it for me. I wanted more. Insert the 30 Day Shred. On the days where I do not have Boot Camp I, for the most part, manage to get the Shred done. Twenty minutes later I am tired, I am annoyed, and I am proud of myself for surviving.

I know that it is hard to get started with exercising but I believe it is like any other habit. Give it seven days. Before you know it it will be part of your life and you will not be able to imagine life without it.

How do you fit fitness into your life?

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