That was my reasoning for not getting in a steady rhythm of working my body for years. Between being a wife, mom of two young kids (and thus a constant house cleaner), and a full time REALTOR there was always a reason I could find to not put in the effort to get my body moving. I would try a  group fitness class here and there. I would try on my own to go in and just jog. The will to go back always petered out.

I knew I should. You always hear about how keeping your body moving adds to your health, physically and mentally. I also heard you’re more likely to go back if you do group activities. So, I decided to try again, and I came across the HIIT IT gym class at The Alaska Club, Eagle River location.

Hmm…only half an hour? I can do that.

I got my workout bag ready and headed into the next class. Everyone was smiling and happy. No vibes of “this class is going to make you cry”. I happily discovered that this type of interval training meant doing 20 or 45 seconds of any exercise at a time. Again, I can do that. I cannot say it was the easiest workout I’ve ever done but I’m happy for that. This class increased my heart rate and worked major muscles. Check and check. And the best part? I finished!

I was so happy to have completed that first class and still have the ability to function for the day that I decided that I could actually keep this up. It’s been a few months now of going a couple times a week and I’ve found it has been easy to return to the class and continue to push my limits in the workouts. The exercises change, keeping the workouts interesting and my strength has improved too (which helps, as my kids are not getting any lighter).

If you find yourself in the same spot I was, stating “I don’t have the time”, start small and keep at it. Build your strength, endurance, and confidence one small workout at a time.