So, I work out now like four times a week. THAT IS SO CRAZY. I’m such a lethargic person at my basest level. I love movies and napping and reading and meditation and deep thinking and nothing at all that involves moving one’s ass. Sure, I burn calories at work, walking and heaving buckets of ice and teetering trays every day, but my body has grown accustomed to that activity. Going to work every day is not exercise, since I’ve adapted to that level of movement after eight years of it in a row.

I was thinking about this because of Ariel’s posts (1, 2) about deciding to move to a standing desk at work. While everyone in internet land knows that Ariel is way hottt, she’s been concerned about what she feels are extra pounds. Despite her stair running and hooping and wedding planning, she hasn’t seen a change in her weight.

I find it weird how quickly the human body adapts to the level of exercise it gets. Like it so desperately needs it that, like some kinda junky, its tolerance quickly rises. I go to the gym in the mornings and begin with what amounts to about 100 or so various crunches. Then I hit the elliptical trainer at level 7 for 25 minutes. I began at level 3 and have quickly jumped 4 levels higher. I have begun to use the backward motion on the elliptical trainer, though I can’t stand it for more than 5 minutes per session. That shit burns.

Then I hop off, trade out my People magazine for US and climb aboard a treadmill. I walk at a brisk 4 mph pace at varying inclines (and speeds) for 20 minutes. I try to do a full, hard run for 3-5 minutes toward the end of the session. Sometimes I’m too tired.

Then, if I have time or aren’t completely winded I jump on this stepmill thing that is just like climbing bigass stairs. I can only do this for 5-7 minutes. Ever.

Then once or twice a week I do resistance training. I haven’t been doing as much of this as I should, but it is mostly due to time contraints. After I hit the snooze button 8 times I only have time for cardio, which is probably why I haven’t seen results as quickly as I’d like.

My eating habits are a balanced 80% healthy vs. 20% not-so-much. I love cheese and indulge in it too often and I’m quick to order takeout when I should stir-fry something instead. But I can! fit into jeans I haven’t worn comfortably in over a year, so there is one tiny plus in the physical department.

What has most suprised me is the effect working out has had on my mood. On the days when I work out especially hard I see the most dramatic difference in my temperment. I am smiling, happy; not anxious or sad. Since I’ve begun going to the gym in the mornings I notice the endorphins lingering all day long. (As well as my appetite.) Sadly, on the days I skip exercising I get right back into a slump of near depression. Going without working out for 4 days in a row last week left me a crying heap. Although, of course, I was somewhat pre-menstrual, too.

It is still hard to get out of bed hours before I have to be at work to go breathe really hard and sweat really, really hard, but I remember how much of a high I get when walking back to the locker room and the joy in knowing that by 10 a.m. I have already worked out, and I need not make excuses as to why I can’t go later because I already went.

I’m proud of me. I think exercise has become just something I do, like brushing my teeth or washing the dishes. Not that much fun while it’s happening, but the results are way worth it.

Plus, I may not get heart disease and diabetes and die before the age of 65 like so many on both sides of my family.

(Thanks to Pyrimyd and Edgeling and Christopher for the work-out mixes. They were all, seriously, pretty rad. One of yours was better than the others, but I’ll never tell. Publically.)