On Tuesday night, I went to one of the new yoga classes at my gym after doing 1/2 hour on the elliptical. Today my body is still sore! Hello, as if I didn't know: yoga is more work than just cardio machines and weights! I feel it in my arms especially since I have been off of heavy-duty arm exercises for 6 months, but I also feel it in my butt and abs. I love LOVE this feeling. I want more.
But there are a few problems:
- My knees got very swollen after Tuesday night. It's the first time I've done a vinyasa (flow) class in a long time (it's very cardiovascular and also lots of standing poses AND much of it goes quickly so no time to really focus on proper alignment). I have been wearing braces on both my knees all year when at the gym because I figure better safe than sorry, but I want my legs to get strong and not rely on the braces. BUT I also don't want to hurt myself. Dilemma. I think I'll just be really really careful.
- The gym is WAY too noisy for a good yoga practice, and...
- They are charging $64 for 8 classes of yoga at my gym. My gym is already WAY too expensive ($129/month -- I really just intended to join for three months last year and it's now been a year). I just can't pay this anymore. Gotta find a new gym and yoga place (maybe not the same place).
So, I have to give my current gym one month's notice that I will be leaving. I will do that at the beginning of February and go somewhere else starting in March. In the meantime, I will buy one series of yoga classes to get myself back into yoga shape.
Next problem: where to go for yoga and gym? I am thinking of going to a large chain gym that will cost maybe $39/month or so. Even if I get back to yoga "full-time", I think I need and want a gym available to me for variety. At $39/month, I could afford that. In the meantime, as I work slowly back to full-time yoga, I could take a couple of classes a week at the chain gym. I think this is a good option...even though yoga is not so great at gyms...and the chain gym is a little bit more out of my way than my current gym.
So, it's all about money really...if I had unlimited cash, I'd stay at my gym and do my "getting back up to speed" yoga there. But, like everyone else, I'm thinking about tightening my belt...both physically and metaphorically.
I needed to write all this out because the yoga/gym thing has been tormenting me...and now I think I have a workable solution so I feel good.
Have been very good but not perfect this week with food. I am slowly reading the "Crack" book too...very interesting.
2 comments:
Ooh, sore muscles! The best.
I'm the same way about $ and the gym. We paid $163 a month for a family membership, and that included unlimited child care (3 hours a day, anyway, not that I'd ever leave them there 3 hours!). Anywho, it's just more than we need to spend right now, but if we had unlimited cash I'd never leave. I love that gym. I'm sure we'll be back eventually.
Your solution sounds like a winner. I'm sure you'll find a good place to land.
Crack diet--it works & is totally doable. I really really need to get back to it. It's just more than I can handle mentally right now. It requires a lot of focus. If you decide to try it let me know. I have a few recipes that help make it more liveable.
Oh, and I hope your knees are okay!
if you have VERIA station on your TV system - check out Yoga for Life show and let me know what you think. This is as close as I have found to what I like (on TV or DVD).
Bev (locally is exactly what I like) - series where she adds one more position each time through - ends up being 40 solid minutes of the same series flow - but I don't get bored because she adds something new each time and I don't get lost - because it is the same series - starting with one thing and then just keep adding on each time through.
I definitely think that it helps to have access to a gym. The one I belonged to was $20 a month - so double that is probably REALLY good for California standards. I have not been back there for a while - and am not planning to rejoin - but have considered buying punch cards - so I can just pop in when I like and not have annual committment. They make everyone pay a DARNED joining fee so I can't just sign up for months here and there - I have already paid that fee TWICE. . .
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