Hello, it’s me again. I introduced myself months ago when I was five months pregnant and trying Gold’s for the first time. While I enjoyed dropping off Gray at their Kids Club service and taking time to get a workout in, that didn’t last the entire pregnancy due to blood pressure and amniotic fluid issues, plus the sheer exhaustion of working full-time while taking care of a toddler. Thankfully, I had a pretty quick and normal labor and delivery. My water broke at work at 1:30pm on a Wednesday and we welcomed Ruston into the world approximately six hours later.
Six weeks later I was cleared to workout!
I was mentally ready to have 30 minutes to an hour to myself while working out and physically ready to start working on my health again. I won’t lie; the first workout back at Gold’s Gym was not what I was expecting. My plan was to waltz right in, workout for an hour, and leave feeling like a rock star. Instead, my husband had to drop me off and sit in the parking lot because Ruston was screaming to be fed before I went inside. I decided to hop on my old friend, Mr. Stairmaster, but could only manage a 5-minute warm-up because I felt like I was going to vomit. I then headed to the treadmill to walk off the embarrassment of not being able to last longer. As soon as the 30-minute mark hit, I was out the door. I was so winded that my gums hurt! Despite the failure on my part, I made sure the hubby snapped a photo of me post-workout to document!
That night I knew it was time to rethink this getting healthy thing.
I nailed down a personal goal and started mapping my plan. I want to lose 40 pounds before I turn 29 next year. That will bring me to 175 pounds. In addition to overhauling my diet and going low-carb, I knew I had to figure out easy ways to get workouts in and make them count. My time is limited now that I have two-under-two and I’ll be heading back to work soon.
Thankfully, Gold’s Gym has helped me in several ways.
The gym has a new, free app called myPATH. With the app, I can track my workouts, see the group exercise class schedule with one click, access special discounts, and more. I can also see what workouts other members at my location log. Seeing what and how often others log workouts gives me the motivation to continue.
A gym can be an intimidating place for a fitness newbie or a mama who has been out of the game for a while. I tend to focus solely on my gangster rap blaring through my headphones while working out, but every now and then I start to question whether people are watching me workout. Of course, this is probably never the case, but that small amount of self-consciousness is there. Group classes are a great way to shake off that anxiety. Not only do classes provide you with the element of learning something new, they also help you focus on yourself while others are doing exactly the same.
Gold’s Gym offers a variety of group classes at all times of the day, seven days a week.
I like to check out the weekly schedule every Sunday and see what interests me and what matches up with their Kids Club hours. I recommend the following for newbies or postpartum mamas:
- Water Works: Work on your strength and flexibility without impact in the gym’s pool.
- Zumba: Zumba is a fun, cardio dance class that will leave you sweating while forgetting you are actually working out. You do not have to have any dance experience. Just grab a spot in the back and go at your own pace and rhythm. The moves are easy to do and keep your heart rate up.
- GGX Cycle: I am in no way, shape, or form saying that a spin class is easy. In fact, it’s one of the hardest classes I have ever taken. However, you can go at your own pace and slow down or turn down the resistance when you need to without worrying about anyone noticing.
In the future I plan on working with one of their certified personal trainers. The trainers would also be a great option for someone who wants a personalized plan and someone to teach them how to achieve their goals.
Since having Ruston I am down about 18 pounds thanks to focusing on my diet and workouts. Let me assure you that I am not perfect and some days are better than others. Whenever I want to sit on the couch and watch Grey’s Anatomy (I see you, Dr. McDreamy), I am reminded of why I should go and visit Gold’s Gym: I get alone time without any kids on boobs or lap, I can actually shower without someone banging on the door or throwing Mickey Mouse in with me, I can listen to my own music and not the Sing soundtrack for the millionth time, AND I feel better every time I walk back out the gym doors.
I can’t wait to update you all again. Since I’ve put my weight loss goal on here for everyone to read, there is no excuse for me not to continue to lose weight and get healthy. I’m doing this first and foremost for myself because if I’m not taken care of, how in the world can I take care of my family?
