I got such a high from my first pilates class this past weekend! And that high, that confidence in my body that it can indeed find balance, and push and grow stronger without feeling pain, has yet to wear off. I was amazed and relieved to leave the pilates studio without an ounce of discomfort. I felt more lithe than I have in quite a while, yet not too loosey-goosey like I sometimes feel after the gym. Everything seemed properly aligned.

My instructor, deeAnn Nelson, was recommended to me by my good friend Shayne who's been seeing her for years, so I already had confidence in her. Her gentle corrections and encouragements were much appreciated. As I used the Reformer and Cadillac machines, she and I both noticed that my right leg, which is the side most of my pain lies on, was very hesitant to do the exercises, although it was fine once it got the hang of it. I don't believe in the no pain, no gain credo. For me, pain =s gym avoidance!

Along with my hyper-mobility being a problem, I was in a car accident in college where I had to slam on the breaks quickly and hard (wasn't my fault!), which caused a great deal of discomfort for many years to come. Physical therapy helped, but I think that some of my pain is a result of the accident, or that the accident triggered or accelerated problems in my paraformus muscle and back.

There were a few fleeting moments during the workout where I was burning to the point of wanting to quit, but we did so many different exercises and stretches that nothing burned for too long. I was a bit sore the day after, especially in my abs, but good sore.

deeAnn is also a member of the dance company Streb, and I look forward to seeing her dance sometime. My next appointment is at the end of January. Once I'm in better shape, Shayne and I will start taking classes together for a reduced cost, which might mean I could afford three classes a month. That would be money well spent.

Last week's gym count: 2x + 1x private pilates instruction.

Tonight I took a quiz on Prevention magazine's Web site to find out what my "exercise personality" is. Turns out it's "spontaneous." According to my results, short but sweet activities that allow me to accumulate exercise time throughout the day are a good choice. That was funny to read considering the experiment I did today.

For many years now, I've rarely seen my Dad without his pedometer. He's worn it in various countries, to fancy restaurants, around his apartment in Charleston, S.C., around my East Village apartment, etc. Remember when the study came out about how we all need to walk 10,000 steps a day? Well, he took it quite seriously! Many days he pushes himself to get in an a few thousand more steps even when he's already done 10,000. It's actually a fun challenge, and whether I'm walking with him or not, I try hard to go the long way, take the stairs when possible, walk in circles around my office, essentially anything to get in those steps.

My Dad recently bought me a pedometer too, so for the purpose of this blog, I wore it from the moment I left my apartment at 8 a.m. to the moment I walked in the door at 10:00 p.m.

My day consisted of:
-Down three flights of stairs, then a six-minute walk to the subway, and a three-minute walk from subway to the office.
-20 minute walk at lunch.
-Various restroom trips, walks around the office, coffee break.
-Had time to kill after work, so I walked for 40 minutes before getting on the subway, and then walked about 10+ minutes to meet friends for dinner.
-Walked 10+ minutes to Madison Square Garden to see the Rangers play, then about that much on the way to the subway and then home and back up the stairs.

I can't speak to the pedometer's accuracy, but hopefully it's close to being on target!

Total Steps: Approx. 14,323
Total Miles: Approx. 5.65
Total Calories Burned: Approx. 609

I just got home from the gym, and before the sweat dries and I lose some of that post-workout glow, I want to share a few thoughts.

1. I need to make a new iPod mix just for the gym. I've been using the excuse that my nano is too small for said mix, but listening to breaking news on "Extra" about Britney's wild New Year's Eve doesn't exactly help me go that extra mile on the elliptical. I'll definitely put some of the more rockin' songs from the new Broadway musical Spring Awakening on, along with the Black-Eyed Peas, The Clash, Bon Jovi, and all of the cheesy 80s music in my collection. Why is it that songs that I'd never normally listen to suddenly become invigorating at the gym?

2. The time has come, and passed, for me to move from the 5 lb. weight to the 8 lber for my upper body exercises. Next time!

3. When I pack my gym clothes in the morning and schlep them with me to the office, I'm much more likely to go to the gym after work than I am if I come home from work to change.

4. It's best not to think about germs while doing mat stretches...and wash your hands before you leave the gym.

5. After being reminded about it on AOL Diet & Fitness, I just calculated my BMI, which is 23.4. According to the BMI index, 25 or over would be cause for me to diet, but my current BMI is a healthy place for me to be. I certainly wouldn't mind shedding a few pounds on my new fitness quest, and I plan to do it by being active and watching portions and fat intake.

Alright, time to hit the shower!

One of my biggest regrets is that I didn't join my high school's track team. Even my closest friends are surprised when I share this tidbit--surprised that I would've wanted to, but even more so that I was asked to join.

The formal letter from the coach arrived during the summer before sophomore year. It pleased and scared me at the same time. We ran a lot in freshman P.E., and I was one of the faster girls in my small class. I always did well at Field Day in elementary and middle school, but the seriousness of traveling around the state (I'm from Charleston, S.C.) to compete in meets made me nervous. I was already the editor of the paper and about to start acting in school plays, but joining the track team would have pushed me farther from my comfort zone than I was willing to go. What if I wasn't good enough? What if I had to compete against my best friend, who was already on the team? What if I lost every race?

I thought for a few days about the letter and then threw it away.

I'm not the kind of person who brushes off my regrets. Instead, I like to examine them and try to learn from them. Today I wish I'd joined the track team because the training and experience would have helped me build the endurance and tone that I now lack. If I'd succeeded on the team, I'd like to think that I would have continued to love the freedom and natural high that running can give. Instead I can barely sprint one city block without gulping for air and feeling the aforementioned jiggles.

Since I've been known to put on my gym clothes and then become entranced by my cat or the computer and not leave the apartment again until the next morning, I've come to learn that for me, excercise has got to be as accessible, quick, and physically and emotionally painless as possible.

Later this week, I'm taking my first private pilates class. Pilates is new enough for me to be excited about, and also comfortable enough for me to neither dread nor shy away from. The rare one on one attention will guarantee that I'm doing it right. Plus, I have to pay whether I go or not--and that's enough to get me out the door!

Even though I consider myself a "foodie," I have as much of a love/hate relationship with food as I do with the gym. Too little good food and I'm cranky, too much good food and I'm lying prostrate on the couch. Too little exercise and my thighs and hips expand just enough to where I can't buy new jeans because I refuse to go up a size, too much...wait, there's no such thing, at least not in the capacity that I imagine I'd ever exercise!

I do enjoy the high I get after my 30 minutes of cardio and some weight lifting at the gym, but I've always been one of those types who protests the actual act of going to the gym until about the tenth minute on the elliptical. I don't run because I don't like the feel of all that jiggling, and I much prefer hiking, or at least walking on New York's amazing West Side highway path. I like to walk around NYC as much as possible -- depending on my shoes, I'm easily able to walk a couple of miles a day.

I've got little legs though -- I'm 5'3" (and 3/4!) and my weight has stayed stable at around 123 pounds as I've ambled up through my 20s. I seem to have a good metabolism and know that if someone with different genes ate as much rich food as I do on a regular basis, they'd likely be a few sizes larger. I feel lucky for that.

When I turned 28 this past summer, I was in the middle of an apartment move and didn't join a gym in my new neighborhood until the fall. While I maintained my weight, I could definitely see changes in my body that cemented in my head (hopefully once and for all) that I must work out! Since then I've tried my best to make it to my new gym, Crunch, three times a week, and in the last month I've noticed that my waist has gotten narrower, my thighs have slimmed, and my pants aren't as tight.

Hopefully by the end of January I'll be the owner of a perfect new pair of jeans!