Oh, how I've missed you so

I went to my boxing gym tonight for the first time in 8 weeks. Maybe you can relate but after the first two weeks had passed, I was feeling too out of shape to show my face in that place. Ah, such a vicious cycle.

Spotting at week 7 also made me a little cautious to be punching and kicking a heavy weight bag, and the high intensity intervals and drills were enough to convince me that perhaps I was out of my element as a newly pregnant lady.

Two months passed, and I really missed my workouts. Two months' dues were withdrawn from my account, and I hated the idea of wasting any more money or mental energy thinking about all the fun I "used to have" at LA Boxing.

Then the clouds parted and the first trimester passed, and I started to feel like my old self. I eased back into an exercise routine that has me feeling confident and strong. And then, over the weekend, after prompting from one of my gym buddies, I worked up my nerve to at least give my gloves and my wraps one more spin before declaring boxing a pregnancy no-no for good.

I drove the 30 minute drive (with my music up so loud that even Little Sears was boogieing) and when I arrived I was greeted by a room full of familiar faces. I have to admit that it felt good to make an appearance, and share the news that I'm expecting. And then, since I'm kind of a show off, I got to impress them with my prenatal exercise abilities!

I was quite out of breath after the first 5 minutes of jumping rope, but so was everyone else, so that made me feel just fine. I did modify a lot of the exercises. I said "no thanks" to the crab walk and "no way" to burpies. I did The Plank instead of a crazy, bend-in-half ab exercise, and enjoyed every squat, crunch, and push-up I was ordered to deliver. Although, my belly does bump the floor now if I try to go all the way down....

I hit the bag a tad softer than I normally would to limit the jarring motion, but by the end of class I was energized, sweaty, and feeling quite happy.

I no longer plan to freeze my membership, an idea that I've entertained more than a few times over the past months. Instead, I'm going to embrace my new state and continue to do the activities that I love, and modify as necessary.