Good Lord, I am Out of Shape. I arrived in DC last night after a lovely 6 hour train journey and today I decided to go for a nice long walk, explore some shopping neighborhoods by metro and then walk back. The metro stop is only a 12-15 minute walk from where my cousins live, but it was 90 degrees in the sun. I was out of breath and sweating by the time I reached the cool, subterranean metro. And then while trying on clothes, I took stock of my figure and noticed flab in places I never thought could get flab before. And the strain in my lower back, oy vey! Since I moved to suburban southern city to teach, I stopped walking for transportation, started driving. According to a recent visit to the doctor, I have gained 10 pounds over the last 2 years in the south. So my body has not been accustomed to this much walking.
I felt like a marionette, my joints swaying with every step I took.
Thankfully, by the end of my five and a half hour expedition I started to feel more grounded and less out of breath.
This month I'll be walking everywhere again, but for good measure I've also decided to purchase an unlimited monthly pass at a yoga studio near Dupont Circle, which offers Ashtanga 3 times a week, along with Pilates and four levels of Vinyasa flow. I intend to go to class 3-4 days a week. I may not lose those 10 pounds, but at least I will feel like a Real Girl again.
So there you have it. My schedule: 9-5 library; 6:30-8 yoga; 8-whenever, blissed out post-exercise happiness.
4 comments:
I know exactly what you mean, sister! I get similar thoughts every time I take my flabby butt to the beach here in TA and compare it to what looks like rock-hard bottoms of the locals.
But I'd like to think -- and it's not just to comfort myself or you -- that the amount of flab around the backside and elsewhere is proportionate to academic success: the more you produce, the flabbier you get. Maybe this is one of those sacrifices you were taking about a while ago ;).
But I agree, urban living this summer -- and yoga -- will do some good, if not to your muscles than to your spirit!
Hope your research goes well!
Hmm, two beautiful women complaining about how flabby they are? Don't believe the hype, fellas. Like the famous report of Mark Twain's death, these too are greatly exaggerated. :-)
ap, I love your theory about flab and academic success, and will think about it further. Of course if it were really true, then someone like Martha Nussbaum would be enormous, instead of looking like a svelte superhero. I hear she runs.
Then again, we'll probably all lose anything we put on writing our dissertations and first books once we start bicycling everywhere, when the price of gas becomes too expensive to use. Which will be quite soon.
PS, thanks, wisconsin yankee- we definitely needed that! :-)
Post a Comment