Resolutions Part II: Let's Get Physical

I have a few basic resolutions for maintaining and improving my bod', but I like achievable goals. I won't pretend I’ll ever have an ass you can bounce a quarter off of, but after 29 years, 16 of which have been consumed with thinking about the size of said ass, I know what I need to do to keep things in order. Plus, I think hitting 30 is supposed to be a bummer for your metabolism, and the red wine isn't going to drink itself, so...

5)    Do an exercise class at least twice a week.

In 2010, I dumped my expensive and annoying gym and found an exercise routine that I’m actually sticking to: classes at independent studios. I may not go as often as I think I should, but at least I’m consistently going. And I can tell a difference. I don't hate the way I look in (most) pictures, I can fit into (most) of my jeans, and as inauthentic as this may sound, I actually improved my overall mood last year by getting my sweat on a couple times a week. Adam Carolla used to say that anyone who feels mildly depressed needs to go for an extended power walk everyday while listening to classical music on their iPod, and they'll pull themselves out of it. He's so right. And so dreamy.

What a Feeling

Anyway, I will showcase the Heart Beat House in Atwater Village in an upcoming post, but I’ll just say now that it’s an AWESOME find and provides a down-to-earth and effective alternative to the mind-numbing cardio machines at the gym. On Mondays, I go to a class called “Awesome 80s Dance Party.” Yep, true story. We jump around to 80s music, do a silly dance routine, and then end with 80s-inspired mat work with light weights. This, I can do.

  

6)    Eliminate tricep flab.

Due to my efforts with attending exercise classes at indie studios, I’ve already made some progress in this arena. I don’t eat chicken, and I don’t want to resemble one when I wave. My brother is a long-time fitness dude, and he claims that women get to a point where it’s no longer possible to get rid of upper arm fat. Yikes!! So if I don’t take care of this at 30 years old, when will I?? Here's what I don't want in my next decade:

FlabuLess!

7)    Get my face in order.

I thought I had my awesome adult acne under control by switching to Yaz and religiously using Cetaphil. Recently, however, my bumps and spots are returning, and this time they’re not discriminating against the upper 2/3 of my face. I have already done some groundwork for this goal by switching to a PPO (no more annoying referrals) and bumping up the amount I set aside for my Flexible Spending Account. I scheduled an appointment with a dermatologist in Beverly Hills who I'm hoping will be my derma-life-mate and hatch a plan for annihilating my acne AND an getting me on an anti-aging regime. My face is a war with too many fronts. Zits and wrinkles- welcome to my life.

8)    Take a series of beginning Salsa classes with my boyfriend.

This is admittedly a carry-over goal from 2010. I adore salsa dancing, and I want to expose him to it just in case my naive optimism pans out and he decides he's found his calling as a salsero. It's like when my stepmom used to tell us to "just take one bite and try it" when we suspiciously eyed our vegetables. Now, 20 years later, I eat broccoli like a champ! Anyway, D claims to be open to the idea of taking salsa lessons together- so I better strike while the iron is caliente.

9)    Ski, again.

Oh, skiing. This goal should probably fall under a different theme, given that I’m doing it as a means toward a social end, not a physical one. Knowing how to ski is something the woman I think I should be knows how to do. All sophisticated adults, and some that aren’t so sophisticated, seem to have at least a rudimentary ability to ski. Ski trips are part of my culture and I should get with the program, or I’ll miss out on all the fun, be a wet blanket, or both.

I have skied exactly twice- once when I was eleven, at the encouragement of my good-natured father, and I was freaked out, cold, and snotty the entire time. I skied again when I was 28, at the encouragement of my good-natured boyfriend,  and I was freaked out, cold, and snotty the entire time. Okay, not totally true. I did okay, especially when it came to the après-ski. A hard-earned happy hour in the snow!! A Mammoth trip with friends is already in the works for the end of the month, so this goal should be easy to check off. 

Let's go body, let's go!!