A New Experience

After my last post about an acquaintance that has been battling cancer, I decided I need to live each day a little differently. I know I have written before about my anxiety about trying new things, especially by myself. (I'm unable to find the post at this moment.) So, yesterday being Monday, I get off of work somewhat early in the afternoon, sometime between 3:00 and 4:00 depending on how busy it is.  I headed to the gym, thinking I was just going to do a walk/jog on the treadmill.  Well, I looked at the class schedule when I walked in the door and noticed they had a class at 4:05.  It was a class that I had been wanting to take but didn't have the nerve to step into a session. 

Now, my mental talk was all over the place.  Mostly it was "Just do it Amy. Be brave, do it, go out of your comfort zone." I went into the locker room, my nerves high strung as all can be. My mouth was dry, I dressed fast.  I wanted to be early so I could set myself up in the back of the room.  I didn't want anyone to know I was new at this.  I locked my locker and ran upstairs to the room.  I walked in, picked out a place at the back of the room and set my towel, waterbottle, iPhone and keys down.  I looked at what the other women in the room were setting up. I followed their lead. 

I stood in the room, with a step and watched people grab a bar and some weights. Which weights was I supposed to get.  I looked at the rack of weights. Ugh!  How many weights did I need?  I thought to myself for that awkward moment that I should just leave.  I texted Christina, told her I was freaking out.  I then worked up the nerve to tell another girl this was my first time and I had no idea what I was doing.  She politely smiled and said "There was a first time for everyone."  Thank you for being so nice and understanding and not looking at my like I'm an idiot!  She guided me through picking out some lighter weights. She said that she worked with 5 and 2.5lb weights through her whole workout the first few times she took the class.  She said, unless I had been lifting quite a bit already, the weights should be enough and I would feel it during the workout.  She also guided me in grabbing a mat for the bench work we would be doing on the steps.  I thanked her for her help.  I was beyond grateful.  I hope to be able to pay it forward to someone else in the future.

While I waited for the classroom to fill up, I texted Christina back and forth, telling her about my anxiety. It helped settle me down a bit and to get focused on the class.  I would say the room was about half full which didn't surprise me because most people were probably still working at that point in the day. I was happy with my place in the back until the instructor asked if there was anyone new.  I didn't even think and shot my hand up in the air. "Oh please be nice to me." She congratulated me for coming (um ok), had the class give me an applause (please find me a hole to hide in), and then gave me some instructions for using the bar and when to use body weight only with no bar (ok, thanks!).

And class started... and I got through it.  I felt like it was super easy at first and then realized that as my muscles got tired that it really was a hard full body workout.  I knew I would be hurting in the morning. Ofcourse, it was going to be a good healthy hurt.  In my subconscious, I knew the class would be worth it when I walked out of there and it definitely was.  Now just to get my husband to give the class a try....

 (Source)

**If you are curious, the class I tried was a Les Mills Body Pump class.**