We’ve all heard it, exercising is supposed to be good for us! It helps manage weight, it helps lower high blood pressure, it strengthens bones and joints and lowers the risk of osteoporosis – and those damn kegels will make us not pee our pants one day!

Sporadically throughout my life, I have been known to exercise. Often with an underlying reason, like trying to look good for a boy, or wanting to fit into a dress, but I’ve never been a big fitness person. Pregnancy did in no way change this! Some women will be jogging while 9-months pregnant or, like my sister-in-law, in a full yoga bridge-pose a few weeks before delivery – This would NOT be me! I wouldn’t say that I plop myself down on the couch with a box of chocolates for nine-months, but……. I did buy some prenatal exercise DVD’s, and I think I might have opened one of them. Does that count?

Anyways, I decided a few weeks ago, that it was time to get in shape!

I started out with a few Pilates classes, and it went really well! I could feel it, but to my big surprise, I was able to keep up. Best of all, there were a few “larger” men in the class huffing and puffing next to me, which made me feel really good about myself!

Feeling maybe a bit too good about myself, I signed up for something called Body Sculpt – who wouldn’t want to sculpt themselves a little right?! Well, first of all, contrary to the Pilates class, this one had mainly men in it. Secondly, there were dumbbells involved! I almost turned around on my heels when I saw those long things and the weights supposed to be added to them! But then I saw the instructor, who was a woman, and figured; okay, I can do this! Technically I could do it, but I most definitely shouldn’t have!

I very strategically placed myself in the way back of the room – even a little bit behind the rest of the crowd in the back, just to make sure nobody could see me. And off we were, with the first of one billion squats and lunges……

You know how they talk about pain, as being potentially good? This was not good pain! I should have probably listened to my body and stopped when the pain went from somewhat good pain to just plain pain. For whatever stupid reason though, I decided to keep going! The amount of weight you added to the dumbbell was up to you. I could leave this next part out, and try to sound cool, but that train already left. So I will just admit to it – I had zero wights on my bar. Yep, I just had the stick itself…. which to my defense is very heavy!

Already an hour after the class was over I was aching! My arms caved in as I was cutting up my daughters dinner! I thought it wasn’t supposed to hurt until the next day?! And ooohh it hurt then too! It hurt the next day – and the day after that, and the day after that…..

Attempting to manage the pain over these past days has been interesting. Certain styles of walking have shown effective. Walking downstairs requires something along the lines of Forest Gump in leg-braces, while holding on to the wall and railing, in an attempt to lift myself slightly as I gently lower my body onto the next step. Walking upstairs requires a whole different technique, more along the lines of how the middle-child walks when she has a big surprise in her diaper. Walking straight seems to be more of a hunched over pigeon-toed style. And lastly all types of sitting down or standing up, is your classic very old lady right after knee-surgery.

Arguments could be made, that if I went more often, it wouldn’t hurt so much! Or how the pain is testament to the fact that I really should go back! I also do appreciate the prospect of limiting the risk of osteoporosis, and not peeing my pants as I age! But with the amount of unattractive pain I’ve been in this week, I have my doubts?! At least I think I might need a few more Pilates classes before I attempt to sculpt anything again!