After 4 years of marriage, 4 years of love pounds and 4 years of just getting by, we decided to make some changes to our lives, our health, our wealth, and our relationship with each other and other people. Every 30 days, we are going to blindly pick a new 30 day challenge that improves our lives.
Here goes nothing!
I had the most amazing work out this morning. Dancing Grounds grand re-opening was today, and in honor of the opening they had free sample classes from 10a-4pm today. I met up with a friend of mine and went to a class called "Work It Out". It was basically a hip-hop fitness class. The fitness level was basic. The class was made up of professional dancers as well as non-pro dancers of all ages and sizes. We started with a warm-up dance, then some isometrics, and then another dance that she kept building on. It didn't matter whether you caught on or not, as long as you kept moving. Towards the end of the class, the instructor, Laura, put on a bounce song. I'm ashamed to admit this as a native Nola girl, but it was the 1st time I've ever caught the floor or the wall. I must say it was a killer leg and calf work out. Then we got in a circle and she called people out to free style in the middle. Unfortunately, I made eye-contact, and I was one of the (un)lucky few to hop in the circle, so to speak. At the end of the class, she taught us the beginning of choreographed routine. On my way out of class, I checked in on the Salsa Sweat class and that looked like fun as well. It was salsa moves to hip-hop & R&B songs. They also have Bollywood lessons, ballet classes and more.
What I liked about the class was that the instructor was extremely friendly, the music was current, the dance moves were great, and it was a judgment free zone. I immediately signed up for a 6 month $33/month membership. I didn't even have to pay up front the entire amount. They're just going to automatically deduct it. If you want to drop in on a class, the 1st one is only $5; normal drop-in rate is $12.
Dancing Grounds is located at 3705 St. Claude St. in the Bywater area. Here's a link to their page with the class schedule and other info: dancinggrounds.org! What prompted me to go was watching a few of their YouTube videos. When I saw them dancing to Grown Woman and Partition, I was sold. There's also a youth program! I'm thinking about signing Deuce up. If you like to dance, and don't want to feel like you're exercising, this is the place for you.
If you don't live near the Bywater area, there's also Dance Quarter on Toledano Uptown. I hear their dance trance class is phenomenal. http://dancequarter.com
When I last left you, I had just started my workout regime. Fast forward 2 weeks later, and I got sidelined by the doctor. I kept getting the same sinus infection, because A. I never took the medicine I was prescribed, and B. I didn't give myself enough time to get over the infection. The doc told me to take it easy. Well taking it easy to me meant no exercising. What's worse is when I don't exercise, I don't diet. Exercising gives me the extra push to be more mindful of what goes in my body, because I don't want to undue all of my hard work. So for the last few weeks I've been tail spinning into debauchery of catastrophic proportions. I'm talking sweet potato pie, ice cream, loads of potatoes, fried food, chips, chips n dip, chips ahoy, pizza...well you get where I'm going. It got so bad, that I started to crave healthy food. One day all I could think about was a kale salad topped with a little quinoa, black beans, cilantro, almonds, & avocado. all of my debauchery came to a head on Mardi Gras, and I started to rethink what I've been doing i.e repent.
Lent is my opportunity to hit the do over button. I, like most other people, use it as the chance to x out some of the bad habits from my life. My penance for my acts of gluttony is to give up the following: (1)Carbs after 3 (2)Soda (3) Unhealthy Desserts & (4) Alcohol. In addition to giving up those things, I vow to go to church once a week. I also aspire to do volunteer work or do something extraordinarily nice for someone else. Once I get the clear from my doctor to go back to exercising, which I'm hoping to get Tuesday, I vow to exercise at least 3 times a week.
