Sometimes I forget the value of exercise when it comes to stress relief. I think (probably like most people), that when things start to pile up I just want to put my head down and plow through until it’s done. That works for a little while, but more stuff frequently has a way of filling whatever little spaces I’ve managed to clear. That’s kind of the way I’ve been going for the past couple of weeks and it was starting to get to me. By Tuesday I was an unbearable grump and my mood was starting to effect my work so I had to get out of the house for a bit.
One of the great advantages to working from home is a flexible schedule so I took an early lunch and hit the gym. The thought of slogging out an hour on the treadmill didn’t appeal so I checked out the new summer schedule and there happened to be a Body Art class starting. (Yay!) I’d only been to a couple before and really enjoyed them but had a timing conflict with the winter schedule so hadn’t been back in a while. The Body Art class is a mix of yoga and Pilates with a nice heart-thumping cardio component. It’s really fun, sweaty and you feel like a million bucks afterward. It’s officially one of my favourite classes. Body Art and Cardio Boxing. Both are a great workout, but it really has everything to do with the instructors, Tanya and Cathy respectively. They are so encouraging, enthusiastic and full of positive energy, they could motivate Jabba off his pedestal.
If you can squeeze in some activity over your lunchtime, I can’t encourage you enough to do so. The last time I even tried was years ago when I used to play tennis at lunch with some of the guys at Nelvana and I’d forgotten how fantastic you feel when you get back and how easy the rest of the day becomes.
(Also, it takes away the guilt that comes with a three o’clock cookie.)
