Better late than never!

Hi, All. I'm late to join the band of bloggers due to technical reasons(!) but here I am at last!

Some history - 'fraid it's a bit boring and medical though maybe considering exercise from this angle may be interesting for those of you with the start of aches and pains. I suppose I'm a bit of a veteran of Jane's pilates class, which I joined a year ago after having had a steroid injection to ease chronic back pain and sciatica due to a slipped disc. The procedure was pretty successful and by the time I started pilates with Jane I was mostly painkiller-free, 'though concerned not to aggrevate the problem. I still have the prolapsed disc, which causes sciatica on a daily basis, but it is SO much better than it was prior to the injection and is bearable, sometimes almost unnoticable. Depends on what I do - I do take a couple of paracetamols before Jane's classes, as it allows more flexibility in my left leg and enables me to enjoy the lesson to the full.

I decided to capitalise on 'feeling much better' a year ago by taking up pilates, so good for strengthening core muscles and increasing flexibility and I LOVED it. However, as someone who's always had plenty of energy, I gradually wanted to do something more physical, and plucked up courage to do that after the summer. I took it easy at first but noticed that my back was no worse than it had been a year ago, and I feel so much better for the exercise. My knees (also a bit dodgy) do sometime give out right in the middle of one of Jane's routines, so if you notice me kind of crumbling a bit, don't worry - I'll be on my feet in no time.

Enough of that - the positives. Having reached the big FIVE-O last year, I've decided that 2010 is the year that I want to (a) get fitter; (b) lose the excess weight which I've carried for years and which is NOT helping my dodgy back, dodgy knees or any other dodgy bits I've picked up over the past 50 years; and (c) feel energized and feel that I'm doing something for ME now that my boys are 13 and 17, and can be left at home alone without bludgeoning each other to death! Please don't make me divulge my weight, except to say that I would like to lose one and a half stones, but would be happy with one. I'm not a dieter (no surprise there) and don't frantically weigh myself, but I just KNOW what's body and what's flab, and the flab has got to go!!!!

I've rambled for too long. Did 'Dance Fit and Tone' last night which I loved - I could have done a second hour, I think, but that's NOT to say it will always be that way. I'm not the most co-ordinated, and sometimes am just mastering the legs movements when Jane introduces some sort of flailing arm thingeys - then I lose all sense of rhythm. So I usually concentrate on the legs - here's hoping they will get more co-ordinated with time. I really love the weights section, which feels like a bit of a 'rest' after the dance. I even asked for weights for Christmas - no chance. Everyone thought I was joking!

See you at Saturday am's class. Here's to a fun, fit and healthy 2010 (and the rest) for all of us!!!!

Jennifer