Snowed In

We have seen an unusual amount of snow here in Portland Oregon. Winter sort of came as a surprise. After a few days of 23 degree weather I stepped outside yesterday thinking that 36 degrees is fairly warm in comparison. My friends from out of state are quick to point out that this "extreme weather" in Oregon is a regular winter for other folks. Sure, that's why I live in Oregon.
It's almost as if this weather put life as usual at somewhat of a stand still. I am typically a busy-body multi-tasking fanatic with several to-do lists. After the winter weather set in it seemed it was all I could do to get up and do some dishes. The minimalist of activities feel overwhelmingly difficult and I have taken up new hobbies such as staying inside wrapped in blankets and sipping on cocoa. I have discovered various celeb reality shows each one trashier than the next, yet I sit mesmerized laid out on the couch with the cat at my feet and the dog on my lap.

I only began to come out of my winter wonderland haze yesterday. I realized that if I couldn't pry the TV remote out of my hand I would have to work around it. I turned it to on Demand to see what complimentary work outs were being offered. I have done enough of these that I've become somewhat picky and it took a moment to zone into something worth while. Needless to say the 44 year old mother of three and exotic dancer turned fitness enthusiast was not the type of expert I wanted to take tips from. I ended up doing a couple of quick lower body work outs and an ab video that almost defeated me.

It's funny how the exercise bug works; you can go days, weeks, even months without it, but as soon as you get the first five or ten minutes under your belt you are hooked. No sooner had I finished the first work out than I felt fully rejuvenated. So much so that it was hard to stop the momentum.

That's the key to starting a new work out routine, or picking up where you left off. After a long break from physical exercise your muscles are fresh and working at full unchallenged potential so it can be hard to recognize when you've overworked them. I usually figure it out the next day, when I can hardly get out of bed because my legs don't want to work. Luckily for me I didn't push it too hard yesterday, and can enjoy an upper body work out later today.