Curves

Why Curves? Why spend $36/mo on a gym membership for just me, when I could join the local rec center (which is awesome, by the way) for $30/mo for my whole family? Or Gold's Gym, which is only $10? There are any number of other gyms that would make more sense for a family on a student budget. Here is what it comes down to: I know Curves. I love Curves. I don't feel like an idiot working out at Curves, so I know that I will actually do it. Curves in an all women's gym, and there are literally women of all shapes and sizes and ages who both work, and work out there. I am totally comfortable, and that's the only way I can work out.

This wasn't always the case. I first signed up at Curves with my mom in 2006. We went a few times, but she wasn't comfortable with the workout so she stopped going. I went a few times on my own that summer, but I stopped when I went back to school.

The next time I signed up was about six months after I got married. I had been walking, but it was getting hot and I knew I needed to find an indoor workout. Curves was not far from my apartment, so I decided to give it another try. I loved it immediately. I had been bored and a little lonely during the day, in my 5th month of searching for a job. I was in a town where I had never lived before, and I needed to join some sort of community. Curves turned out to be exactly what I needed physically and socially. I found a real support group in the ladies who worked out there every day, and especially in the coaches. I actually looked forward to working out for the first time in my life. And by the time I moved a year later, I weighed 180, which was less than I weighed in high school. I had lost 40 lbs, and I had a pair of size 12 skinny jeans that looked fabulous on me.

When we moved, I fully intended to continue going to Curves regularly, but life threw me a little curve-ball. I started well, but then I visited my family for a few weeks, and shortly after I came back I found out that I was pregnant, and also got a full time job. I put my membership on hold, intending to return after my daughter was born. By the time I had finally geared up to go back, and found someone willing to watch the baby while I worked out, I was pregnant again, and my baby was six months old. So I gave up on the idea of going back at that time.

But now it's time again! Tuesday when I went to sign up, I felt the same comfort that I had before. My husband takes care of the babies from 7-8 every morning, and I take that time for myself to work out and shower. It makes all the difference in my energy level every day. I feel more motivated to eat healthy, and to be active with my kids, and even to do the dishes. This might be my favorite part of the one year challenge.