Finding Your Sparkle
Friday 13th of September 2013 | Category: Opinion | Written by: Suzanne LA little while back I posted on eggdipdip about losing my mojo. I felt flat, like I'd lost my sparkle and more like a week old bottle of cheap supermarket cola than a fruity little bottle of sparkling rose.
Turns out, a few of my very lovely friends were feeling the same way.
As relieved as I was to know that it wasn't just me being a drama queen, I decided that I was the only person that could fix it. I had lost my mojo and it was up to me to find it.
There was nothing else for it. It was time to dust off my exercise mat and work up a sweat. But first, I had a date with a bottle of bright red nail polish and a foot spa (aka an old washing up bowl filled with warm water and bubble bath). I may wake up feeling like a frumpy mum still holding on to that excess baby weight 3 years post-partum, but one glimpse of my (not quite) perfectly painted toenails in the shower gives me a boost. Don't ask me why, it just works. It's like a mental jolt that reminds me today is a new day. Anything is possible with some bright red painted toenails right? (or bright pink/purple/blue, whichever you choose but the brighter the better).
So. Back to that exercise mat. I have a love hate relationship with exercise. I love the buzz it gives me. I love that achey feeling afterwards that tells me I worked my muscles (I know, I'm weird). I hate the hassle of going to the gym.
So right now, I exercise at home. I used to like going for a wee jog and would regularly set my alarm for 5.15am to fit one in before the children woke up and missed me (nothing quite dampens your enthusiasm for running than a toddler hanging off your leg begging you not to go out). But I'm just not in a jogging vibe just now. My children also decided that 5.15am was an ideal time to start their day (anything to prevent mummy from leaving the house without their knowledge. Sheesh).
So now I spend 20 minutes a day doing a high intensity workout. I discovered the lovely Wendy Powell a couple of years ago and purchased her 12 week programme some time ago. But life was busy and I never lasted more than a week. I'm now on week 4 and it's slowly but surely becoming a habit. Other people I know swear by their Davina DVD or The Shred by Jillian Michaels. I've never tried Davina, but The Shred? Oh my word. If you want a DVD that works you hard, this is the one.
I used to be really sniffy about workout DVDs. I didn't understand how they could give you a really good workout and if you were in your workout gear already, why not just head out for a run? That was before 2 children. Before I'd tried The Shred. Before time became precious!
I'm not sure where I got the idea from, but as part of my mojo search I decided I needed to do something that really challenged me. Experience something completely new.I needed to find a new sport to fall in love with. One that would give me a buzz and leave me craving more. What on earth is she talking out I hear you cry (no, not sex you naughty lot – minds out the gutters please). Trust me. When you find a sport you love, you just know. It used to be running for me, but then my husband discovered marathon running and stole my first sporting love (there was no way I was competing with his running – he's built like a whippet and can knock out a half marathon without breaking a sweat).
So anyway, 2 weeks ago I tried kayaking. I struggled into a wetsuit (which was actually the most terrifying part of it) and off I went. My abs screamed, my triceps and biceps complained loudly and my butt cheeks were so tightly clenched from fear I thought they'd never recover.But I had the best time. I tackled rapids and paddled until I was shaking from all the adrenalin. I absolutely loved it (despite the trauma of being in a wetsuit). I drove home with a gigantic grin on my face and bored my husband stupid with all the details. I now cannot drive over a fast flowing river without daydreaming about buying my own kayak. The wetsuit purchase I'm still having nightmares about however (shudders).
I'm slowly finding my mojo again. A bit of sweat, some red nail polish and an adrenalin rush did it for me. What about you? How do you get your fitness fix? Where do you look when you lose your joie de vivre? How do you get your sparkle back when life knocks it out of you?
