Don't fix what ain't broke. Do fix what is.

Okay, so some of you are aware that I've been trying to find a way to get back in shape. I used to be in decent shape, after all...in fact, I loved my grade 11 fitness class that I took for course credit when I was in OAC. Since I have been having trouble getting myself back into the habit of fitness lately, though, I've decided that instead of looking for new ways to get fit, I should maybe try looking at what I used to love doing for fitness and go back to that. After all, like the founder of The Brat Factor says, "If it isn't fun, it won't get done."

Okay, so what did I love about my grade 11 fitness class? Well, I did love playing floor hockey in that class, and I also loved playing floor hockey intramural-ly when I was in residence at my Bible college for a semester (maybe a little too much...I did get more penalties than I expected for being a little too, um, enthusiastic). However, no free opportunities for me to play floor hockey seem to be presenting themselves to me lately, and I don't really want to pay for something until I'm sure I'll stick with it...and the inconvenience of having to go out somewhere to play might mean that I might get lazy and not go out to it regularly...plus floor hockey games generally happen on a once-a-week basis, and I am looking for something to do on a more regular basis (well, I suppose I could play floor hockey one day a week and do other things for fitness the rest of the week, but bear with me here). So I've got all sorts of excuses as to why I don't think I'll get involved in floor hockey right now, but maybe further down the road I'll look at getting back into it.

Hmm, alright, so what else did I love about my grade 11 fitness class? Well, there was one thing I loved even more than playing floor hockey, and that was...step aerobics. Yup. Step aerobics. Any kind of aerobics is of course an individual activity (so long as you have an instructor), so stepping doesn't require me to go out and get a team together (or sign up for a team only to discover the other girls are all either wimps or too hardcore for me). If you choose your routine right, it can be completely low-impact, so the chances of my injuring myself even in my current state are pretty low. I even went out and bought myself a step back in the day when I was really into this--though I think it was another couple years before I got myself a video to use it with--so I have all the equipment I need to "step" at home, including a mat and some dumbbells to use during the toning sections of the video (no, stepping while holding weights isn't involved--the instructor says that's dangerous--but there is a section where you sit down and balance the workout you've been giving your legs with some strengthening work on your arms, as well as an abs section that I am not nearly ready to attempt). What's that? Oh, yes, I did say I bought a video back then. As in a VHS tape. As in a piece of magnetic media which I played on our Sears VCR. The video was actually pretty good. However, a big disadvantage of its being on tape was that once I finished the warm-up and beginner's section, I had to do a lot of fast-forwarding (and checking to see what point I'd fast-forwarded to, and more fast-forwarding, and checking, and fast-forwarding, and whoops I went too far so now I have to rewind, and check, and...) to get to the cool-down and toning sections of the tape. Then our VCR started acting wonky, eating tapes, getting tapes stuck in it, having the cables that run between it and the TV chewed by a cat so that I now have to fiddle with it for a good 10 minutes pre-workout to get a usable signal to the TV, etc. This all became a big turn-off...whereas once upon a time I would be all, "Step aerobics? Yay!" now my reaction on thinking about doing the video would be more like, "Unnnngggghhh...I don't know if I really want to go through all that hassle today." I knew that I still loved step aerobics, but I didn't love not being able to see the video clearly or of having to fight the VCR so it wouldn't eat my tape as I tried to get to the section I wanted. This is a problem that has kept me from using my step more than once in a blue moon for years (well, that and my reluctance to use it when someone else is in the house). I have discovered the solution, however; my favourite step workout is now available on DVD :D! It's ordered, it's on its way, and it is supposed to be here before a week is up. I'm actually excited! About exercising! Woohoo! Time to stock up on Five Alive (beverage of choice after every grade 11 fitness class)...anyway, I'll let you know how this goes. I actually did the video this past Tuesday (after figuring out I could get the signal to come through well by feeding the cord under the DVD player and weighing the works down with a dumbbell to put just the right amount of tension on the cord...though I still had tape-eating problems to deal with) and enjoyed it, and I'm scheduled to do the tape again today. In fact, my breakfast should be digested enough now that I can go for it. See you later; I've got some sweating to do.