Getting fit this winter

Here I am with my husband Bob
at the top of Lookout Mountain
watching the US Pro Cycling Challenge. 

I'm an avid cyclist and runner, but now that the days are getting shorter, it's getting harder to fit my outdoor workouts in before the sun goes down. I don't mind cold weather -- once I get used to it -- but not being a fan of mountain lions, and with no desire to become anyone's dinner, I choose not to  exercise outside after dusk. But now that dusk arrives closer to 5 than 6, and is coming a little earlier every day -- in addition to the fact that I work for a living and have school pickups and other obligations to contend with -- it's time to get creative!  

Well rounded? Uh ... yes and no

The ugly truth is, running and riding do not a well-rounded workout make. Yes, I'm great on the cardiovascular front. My resting heart rate is 48, my veins are big, the optometrist recently raved about the circulation in my eyeballs. (Didn't explain why I still need glasses, though.) 

But my upper arm muscles are pretty weenie, my tummy is soft, and my hamstrings are tight. I do a fair bit of creaking in the morning when I get out of bed. Perhaps at my age (never mind), I'm becoming a little too well-rounded in the way I don't want to be, and not enough in the way that I do! I could use some strength in my workout routine -- I'm not getting any younger, and I've read all the stories about osteoporosis. And the truth is, my stretching routine has become almost nonexistent, which I know puts me at risk of injury. And we won't even talk about my core.

Time to get my butt indoors!

So I am going to use the colder temperatures and shorter days as an excuse to get my butt indoors and try some of EPRD's fitness classes and indoor activities. We're so lucky to have Buchanan Park Rec Center and Wulf Rec Center here in Evergreen, with a large variety of classes (though I don't know what they are, exactly) and equipment (though I don't know how to use it) and the best prices around. Time to take advantage! 

But I feel incompetent

Because I don't know anything -- what the heck is Tabata? And what is a kettlebell? What's the difference between Ashtanga and Vinyasa and Hatha yoga? If I try to run on a treadmill, will I fall off? I'm a bundle of insecurities. Do I have to know what I'm doing to take a class? Indoor cycling looks really hard? What are the latest techniques for weight lifting? Will every else be fitter and better than me if I show up at the base of the pinnacle at Buchanan for an adult fitness class?

Join me!

I resolve to overcome my trepidation, take a deep breath, and plunge into the classes. I'll share what I learn in this blog, and would appreciate feedback, advice and questions! I'd also love to have others join me, so if you want to get adventurous and try a class, let me know and I will join you! 

Free classes this week 

By the way, this week -- Nov. 1-7 -- all new classes by new instructor Leslie are free. They include:

Wednesday -- Hip Hop Hustle -- 10:20–11:20 am at Buchanan
Thursday -- Zumba -- 6-7:00 pm at Wulf
Friday -- PiYo Strength (that's Yoga and Pilates) - 10:20–11:20 am at Buchanan
Saturday -- Zumba -- 9:15–10:15am at Buchanan.

The schedule for all EPRD fitness classes is at http://origin.library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1110274899655-535/FitnessCalendarNOV13.pdf. Try one and share your experience!


About Lisa
Lisa Hamm-Greenawalt is Marketing Manager for Evergreen Park & Recreation District (EPRD) in Evergreen, CO.  She is also a middle-aged woman who is trying to stay fit despite a busy life juggling full-time work and family. You can reach her at lhamm@eprd.co.