I miss the gym...

There's no irony in this, at all. I actually miss going to the gym. In all the years that I had free and unlimited access to some of the best gyms in the city, I barely went. At some point in mid November, I bit the bullet and bought a 10 time drop in pass to the City gym nearest me. I ate that 10 pass for dinner!

I had no idea how much I would enjoy the restricted version of working out at a gym: I had to book and commit to a specific time; I could only stay for 60 minutes; there was a limit on how many people could workout at the same time. The gym gave me an excuse to get out of the house once a day... and it made me feel great. I downloaded a bunch of upbeat tunes; bought myself new running shoes; and a set of wireless earbuds... and all sorts of new socks!

After those initial 2 weeks, I upgraded my commitment to an unlimited drop in pass... and went almost every day. I mean, who doesn't have an hour to spare these days?!

Now, don't get me wrong, being at the gym isn't exactly my natural habitat. I made zero eye contact. I turned up, tuned in, got my sweat on and left. It was a perfect compliment to my otherwise yoga-centric life.

And then lockdown. December 12 was my last day at the gym. Then Christmas. And New Years. My Birthday. So many reasons to eat, drink, be merry. I don't feel as good as I did back then, in my gym phase of the pandemic.

So, I've finally brought my new running shoes in from the trunk of my car. I've charged my earbuds. I've joined a community outdoor fitness group. And I've decided to go back to running. Outside. With a new friend who's also struggling with exercise. Wish me luck. We start tomorrow at Fish Creek for an intro trot together. Oh boy!

H(om)e work:

Beyond yoga, how are you staying active? What motivates you to move? How has you activity regime changed since last March?