are we sweating yet!?!

starting as early as 5:45am, women pile through the door...every hour on the hour for the duration of the morning. despite the freezing temperature outside, inside the energy is high, the music is bumping, and together we come.

yes, this blog is about jazzercise. i have always loved to dance, yes this is well known, but in recent, my love for group fitness has grown. i love spending an hour at the gym most everyday. it's alone time, it's accomplishment, it's acceptable to look like you just rolled out of bed. but when you come together with women of various ages, body types, backgrounds, you feel a sense of unity. together we are combating heart disease, obesity, gravity....and just feeling good about who we are. our instructor is bouncy, witty, and only occasionally bashes on womanizers and thunder thighs. although the instructor cues what movements are coming up, the truth is...it's jazzercise..and you can do whatever the hell you want. the lady next to me would rather squat than kick, my best friend is beside me keeping up and bouncing with the best of them (former k-state cheerleader..no competing with that) and if i miss a cue, i just free-style. and everyone loves you even more for it.

our heart rates are up. the music is changing to yet another favorite song. even if this is the only thing i've done all day, i feel productive. we do some strength training. several minutes of self-empowering ab work...and a celebration for whoever has hit their 25th, 50th, 75th, etc. class. we are friends. we are teammates. we all chit chat after class about holiday plans, the weather, and most of all what time we will see them tomorrow. you just can't get that standing on a machine by yourself. this isn't a workout regiment that i will tire of. not now, and not for a long time. maybe one day i will even take the plunge and go for instructor status. but for now, i'd rather just hang out in the crowd and be in the midst of it all.

oh how i love the jazzie. i encourage you all to get a little exercise in this week. the holidays are upon us, and now more than ever is a good time to get your body moving. not only will it burn calories and allow you to enjoy your treats with a little less guilt..but it will also decrease your appetite for the rest of the day. (my apologies for the dietitian coming out in me..but i mean..just do it.)