I’ve never been a gym rat. Not even close. In fact, I’d be the exact opposite of whatever a gym rat might be. A practice room flamingo perhaps. The point being, I’m not terribly athletic, have never really felt the pull to join a gym, and have basically la-dee-dahed myself right into my mid-30s.

And now I’m paying for it with the OneHundredAndHolyHellIAteAToddler! number on the scale.

Last November I starting attending fitness classes at our incredible community rec center with a friend. I went several times (even on Saturday mornings!) and then signed up for a healthy living challenge class that started in January. Love the class, and have only missed a couple because of illness or being out of town. But I’ve stopped going to the group fitness classes. I really don’t like them, though I do enjoy the endorphin kick that hits me a little while later. I have, however, been taking a group weights class as well (offered cheap to free for those of us in the challenge class), and am loving the heck out of lifting weights.

Let’s review.

Hate group fitness classes.

Hate the treadmill/elliptical/stairmaster machines.

Love lifting weights.

Love yoga.

Love walking/running (oh, did I mention I signed up for a Training for a 10k class?) on the running track.

Anyone see any kind of correlation with that list? Anyone? You in the back, drooling onto your planner? No?

Control.

See, I’m a raging wee bit of a Control freak. Yes, this is the BFF of Perfectionism (the bitch), but I’ve already vamped on her, so today it’s Control. I’m a freaky Control freak, though. I only CF on myself, very rarely on others. Same with Perfectionism (see, this post wouldn’t be Perfect if I didn’t keep mentioning Perfectionism and her attempted Control over my life…sigh…).

Fitness classes, moving machines…I’m not in Control of the workout. Someone or something else is. Plus, I really hate feeling like a hamster on a wheel when I’m on a treadmill. Yoga, lifting weights, running track…I’m in Control. I may take a yoga class, but the teacher I have (and I love her) insists we do what we are able to do, and thus I’m back in Control.

I doubt I’ll go to many more fitness classes; they’re really not my style. And I just can’t get over that hamster wheel thing. So you’ll find me blissing out in yoga, lapping you on the running track, and adding more weight every week in the weight room.

Because some Control is good.

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