How fabulous is exercise for the soul?

I can hardly believe how much I am really enjoying exercising after so many years of not doing anything!

When I dreamed up the concept of the Woman of Spirit Personal Challenge Quest, I was thinking about running a training program to help women transition into work or further study. However, as the day rapidly approached for the Quest, I realised that I needed to start something much closer to home, so I looked at my life and decided to bite the bullet on my weight.

It seems like this year has been a year of taking responsibility for all aspects of my life and my weight is just one of those aspects. I want to be around to be able to chase my grandchildren around, instead of them having to run around the chair I can no longer get out of. I am realising just how important good health is for you to be able to sustain the lifestyle that is enjoyable.

So I started the Commando Kick Butt Challenge, fully recognising that it was going to take a major butt kick to get me moving. Well, I'm pleased to say that I have fallen in love with exercise again and am already realising the benefits of increased fitness. One of these was the satisfaction of beating of my 16 year old students in a running race on the spot. You had to go as hard as you could for as long as you could and I outlasted him by quite a healthy margin. He was puffing and I was hardly even drawing a deep breath. Then there was the stairs that I used to drag myself up but now go up without even feeling the burn.

I am so grateful for the opportunity to work out with Geoff and the girls.

My favourite exercise was the knee lifts into the bag. I loved powering into that pad! It was so much fun. Just love the power of slamming into the bag. Ahhh...satisfaction.

The other great thing about exercising together as a team is that our children are able to come with us and have good habits modeled to them. The children play together on the climbing apparatus and watch us work hard. It's great for them to see us doing that.