The other night I took Lilly to her soccer practice with Hilary in tow. It’s always entertaining when I take both girls somewhere as Hilary doesn’t like to sit still. Okay, it’s more entertaining for other people not me. I’m not sure which one ran around more during that one hour soccer practice but I do know they both had a blast.
Lilly was with her friends and listening to her coach while Hilary and I walked the track with her friend and parent and another mom. All of our children go to day care together and will be in the same school in September!
We walked the track together and got to know each other a little more. What we did for work, what our husbands did, sleep challenges with our kids etc. Eventually we got talking a little more and I learned that one was a “gym rat” (her words not mine) and the other is starting her first Learn to run 5k in August! They learned that I like to run, a lot 😉
After walking a few laps the little ones wanted to get out of their strollers to play in the sand pit/kick the soccer ball around too. I got thinking about gyms and they are not a place I frequent very often. When I’m visiting my family, I do like to hit up GoodLife Fitness, especially the female only gyms.
We have three local gyms within 10-30 minutes of where I live but I just haven’t brought myself to look into them. I love to run and be outdoors. I love to be active with our girls all year round. I do value what a gym can offer people and I do value the opportunities that it can lead to.
This next statement has always been something that I believed in and use in the work I do daily. The key piece is that “being active” is important no matter what activity you are doing. Being “active” at the gym, outside, inside, with people, without, on a plan, fly by the seat of your pants – it’s all good. It’s all good because you are making yourself healthier and happier.
My run on Thursday sucked (sorry, Mom) but it did. I honestly hated it. I looked at my watch WAY too much. I stopped a few times to catch my breath after a long hill. I even stopped once because I just didn’t want to run – even though I was ½ a km away from being done my run. Once I finished and had a chance to cool down, I was relieved it was over. Though I wasn’t happy at the time, I sure was happy after I got my activity in.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m super thankful I can run and that I could do so on my lunch break, rather than 8:30 at night. It wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t good and it was far from awesome. BUT – I was active. And that’s all that matters!
Does it matter to you what people do to be active?
Do you like going to gyms?
Do you like to workout with others or on your own?
Piper's Run 
I have runs that feel that way too and other times I feel like I could run forever! I like to be active with as many people as possible. It’s usually more fun!
Running lately has been nothing but hard but I’m almost feeling 100% after my hamstring injury 6 months ago. You have to start somewhere, right! I enjoy being active with others as well.
What an inspiring post! I wrote one similar about the power of walking and how we are all capable of doing SOMETHING ACTIVE. It’ so important, especially for the well-being of us and our children! When our kids see us active, they want to be active. When they see us happy after we have been active and have that feeling of accomplishment, they are happy and feel proud of us! I enjoyed reading this very much and I cheer you on, Mama!! Keep going!! You’ve got a great attitude.
I had a great long run this morning and thought it was going to be terrible but it wasn’t! Also, coming back to my girls and stretching together is one of my favourite parts of my run 🙂
Once you get in the habit of working out, it becomes a lot easier to maintain! Running can suck sometimes so I usually just bike and lift weights but I dos see the value in just getting up and moving. A very inspiring post!
I completely agree! Working out just becomes part of your every day schedule – at least it does for me. It’s nice to change up your workouts and not do the same thing every day!
I use the good life at the Penhorn location. I hate the treadmill with a passion, but I’m loving the body combat and Zumba classes
Oh, I have yet to to go that location! I love Zumba 🙂 haven’t tired body combat yet.
I do body combat on Tuesday AM and Zumba on Thursday AM with Nicole and Zumba on Saturday with Elaine.
LOVE your perspective! Being active IS all that matters. Just loving the act of moving and doing something is so important! I don’t love going to the gym because like you, I love to be outdoors…but I drag myself there for strength training and swimming a few times per week! I like to work out both solo and with friends. Recently, I’ve had lots of company running so I’m looking forward to running solo a few times this week! Sometimes I just love having my iPod on and just going!
It’s been a while since I’ve done any group running so I think I would love to try and do that again soon! It’s so motivating. I do love being able to get a run in by myself though – mama’s me time , ha ha!
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I am definitely a bit of a gym bunny but for me that’s about the other people. I mostly go to classes because I like to work out with other people. On my own I go way too easy on myself but in a group I work a lot harder.
Gym bunny – cute! I think I push myself more with others around too.
Great take on that hard run! I had one awful long run on Sunday and I wanted to die the whole time. I think I’m sick, so that makes me feel a bit better about it, but it was really hard! But you’re right, at least I was being active and sticking to my half marathon training plan!
Sorry to hear you had a awful long run. Sometimes we need those runs to make the good ones REALLY good! And I hope you are feeling better.