Saturday Morning Kick

My workout hangout

This week I am on vacation in Las Vegas (yay!).  Of course I have known about this trip for several months now and of course I just started getting prepared for the trip last week.  And by “getting prepared” I mean “getting in shape”.  Don’t get me wrong – I know I’m not overweight, but, let’s face it, there is a weight that we all like to maintain where we feel most comfortable in our clothes (that weight where we feel comfortable in our bathing suits?  It simply does not exist).  After my back injury two years ago I have not been able to run like I once did and as a result I have gotten a bit lazy in the exercise arena. That business has got to change.

Saturday I attended a kickboxing class at the Joplin Family Y.  Holy cow, am I out of shape.  Usually I am able to keep up with the rest of the class (if not the instructor).  This time, though, I ran out of steam within the first fifteen minutes of class.  Let’s just say I made sure I was thoroughly hydrated by making several (slow) trips to the water fountain outside the classroom.  While I have been walking about two miles several days a week in an effort to maintain my fitness level, my cardio exertion has not been nearly what it once was, and I found myself huffing and puffing DURING THE WARMUP.  Yeah, it was a tad bit embarrassing.  And did I mention that my friend was the instructor?  My friend who was once my running partner?  Oh, and also that I positioned myself at the front of the class where I could get a good glimpse of myself in the floor-to-ceiling mirrors?  Yikes. 

As I huffed and puffed my way through the sixty minute class, I realized that I needed to stop kidding myself about my exercise efforts and get back into some sort of routine.  I also realized that I have no idea what the difference is between a “hook” and a “punch-out” or a “crossover” and an “upper-cut” (who am I kidding?  I’m not even sure that those are the correct terms.  Not only is my body exhausted, but my brain is wiped out as well.)  What I do know, though, is that this class was quite a challenge, and I really needed it.

Thus I have decided to add some new cardio exercises to my routine – the elliptical and maybe an aerobics class or two here and there – and tweak my diet a bit (but not too much – I still need to leave room for Cupcakes by Liz and Anderson’s Ice Cream!).  With a little conscious effort my clothes will fit more comfortably and I will be better able to keep up during my next kick-boxing class.  ‘Cause yes, I will be back….

So, what cardio-friendly exercises do you participate in to stay healthy?  What are your favorites and your least favorites?  Have you ever tried kick-boxing?  What the heck is an upper-cut?