A while back, I shared that I was beginning a regular exercise class at The Dailey Method in Carlsbad come heck or high water… and then I got really sick. Again. This winter has been positively brutal for me as far as viruses and infections.
Well, knock on wood, I haven’t had a cold, sinus infection, bronchitis, ear infection, pneumonia, stomach flu or strep throat in nearly two weeks. (Yes, those really are all things I’ve had since January 2.) So last week, I made a commitment with a friend – we’re doing a Dailey Method class every weekday. We committed mid-week and made it through, and today marks the beginning of the first full week.
I am absolutely awful in class. I’m surrounded by lots of women who have been doing it for a while and are in great shape. Me? Not so much. Okay, not at all. But that’s not the point – the point is getting back into a workout routine and losing the weight I gained from the last round of steroids that I took for my lupus.
A few friends have asked what exactly is is, but I’m awful at explaining it, other than saying, “It’s me, trying to stay conscious and hold the positions!” So, I grabbed a quick description from the website:
“The Dailey Method is a system of strengthening and stretching all the major muscle groups in the body. It combines ballet barre work, core conditioning, yoga, and orthopedic exercises. The controlled movements are very focused, effective, and safe. Proper alignment is our primary focus. Then each set of exercises is followed by a series of active stretches to develop more sculpted and supple muscles. The entire body and mind is constantly working throughout class. Especially your core – every position we teach we cue how to properly acheive and maintain core engagement. Through this process ones body, posture, and physical awareness will be transformed.”
Mondays are incredibly busy for me. Incredibly is actually an understatement. Between 3 a.m. when I went to bed and 8:30 a..m. when I began working, over 75 emails had piled up that needed answers. (I’m not even counting the number that I deleted or put into the “deal with these later” folder.) And they haven’t stopped yet. My day has been just as crazy and my inclination is to keep working right up until my kids get home from school, spend some time with them and then get right back to work.
But that’s the problem – as a busy mom, I put myself last. So I’m not going to do that. In one hour, I’m headed out the door to my exercise class. My kids will get one hour less with me, but they’ll get a better version of me. I hope that over time, I’ll feel less guilty about taking this time for myself and my health and that when I see results, I’ll feel a lot better about myself, too.
If you have a Dailey Method near you, I cannot recommend it enough. It’s brutal when you first begin – or at least it is for me. I’m physically exhausted after class and sore, but not the kind of sore from an hour with a personal trainer after not having worked out in so long. That’s a someone-help-me-out-of-bed sore! The Dailey Method sore is a good sore.
And I’m hanging onto to the promise that each day, I will get better.
Image credit: The Dailey Method
