A Pleasant Surprise, but Costly

With my new-found love of The FIRM (the old stuff that Anna Benson produced), I have discovered a thing or two.

I'm not as fit as I thought. Now I never thought I was that fit in the 230-pound range, but I could do so much more than at 282.5. I was getting a bit over-confident. With the delivery of my new FIRM videos, I'm back in exercise preschool.

These things are tough. Yet they're oh, so good. I don't do everything in the videos--I can't! I start small, just like I did with Richard Simmons. I could make it through one of his videos when I started, but many times I had to drop my arms and march in place. My endurance built. With The FIRM videos, I'm finding the same is true. I can make it through an entire video, but with tons of modification. I'm now using light weights on some segments. It's awesome to watch my strength build.

One of the things that bothers me about The FIRM videos is the high-impact aerobics. I can and do accomplish some of it. I do the plyo jumps--some of them. It's very important in building your bones to do some of these types of things. Yet give me a bunny hop or running in place? I'm toast. Can't do it, and I don't know that I want to.

Well, I do want to, but I have a 44-year-old body that I need to take extra special care of. I was talking to my hubby and told him I bet I could do a lot of that high-impact stuff on a mini-tramp. What a dated phrase, mini-tramp. A rebounder, that's the modern term. I tried our rebounder out and it was awful. The thing is old, I didn't know its weight limit, and it didn't have much bounce. Hubs thought it unsafe for me to use.

Thus the search for a new rebounder. We both researched and settled on the same: a Bellicon. Now heaven forbid, I cannot afford the price for their bungee rebounder. Oofta! I can't afford the price of The Athletic, but I bought it anyway. Hubby insisted on it. Really, I'm blaming him. He actually did tell me to do it.

Back in the 80s when mini-tramps rebounding became popular, I jumped (pun intended) on the craze. I loved rebounding. I had a good tramp, and I did it every day. It kept my weight off. Not only that, when I had gained extra pounds, it alone, without diet change, got my weight back down. Somewhere along the line, though, I quit using it.

Now armed with my iPod Shuffle, my favorite up music, and patience, I can see myself running on the tramp again. I can also see doing the high-impact portions of The FIRM on the tramp. Old habits die hard, I'm sure I'll call it a tramp. Rebounding was one of the best sources of stress reduction I've ever known. I used to crank the music and get out all my frustrations. It came naturally, doing punches, kicks, spurts of running, etc. I know I won't be able to pop on and do a half hour or more yet, but I will be able to after I have built my endurance.

I feel revived. I needed a push, and getting my body healthy and exercising is wonderful. I needed to find what would work. I've been madly working out a rotation schedule. Me, worried about exercise rotation? Who'd-a-thunk-it? Wow. Me, doing strength training? Wow. My body feels good. In order to keep up the exercise, you have to do what you love. No dread factor. While I love Richard Simmons, and never had a dread factor, I'd been doing his videos for 20 years. It's time to expand. I'll still pop in one of his videos on cardio day from time to time. After awhile, once I get all the steps and routines down in The FIRM videos, I'll start mixing it up with new FIRM stuff, and probably add some Tracie Long videos and Cathe. That is a ways off, a long way off, but I have my eye on the prize, I have inspiration, and most importantly, I have desire.

We had to rob Peter to pay Paul to get the tramp. That's okay, because my health is worth it. Hubby said he'd use it. He'll probably have to take it to the garage, as he's 6'5" tall and I can see him thumping his head on the ceiling! This tramp is for people 200-350 pounds! What's going to happen when I get below 200? We'll see how it works, and if need be, I'll get another. Then hubby can have this one. That will be awhile, as my weight is coming off slowly.

It was absolutely a pleasant surprise when hubby insisted I do this, though. He's concerned about my health and exercise as much as I am. He knows I always loved rebounding. He's a keeper.

I can't wait until it gets here! I can't wait until I get my body strong!!!

One final thing. If you research The FIRM you will see that they have a saying, "Visible results in 10 workouts." It's true. While you may not be able to see my results on me, I can. This morning my husband said, "Wow, look at your arms!" No, they didn't lose the hanging skin underneath, and yes, they're still fat, but we can definitely see muscle definition. I can feel it. I have a butt, a definite line distinguishing my butt from my legs. (Hubby likes that! lol) The back of my legs are rock solid. The front quads were pretty tight thanks to aerobics, but now the backs are the same. We also can see my shin bones.

Now these visible results are subtle, and as I say, someone else may not notice them--but we do. How cool is that? I've only done nine FIRM days. I think results would be the same from whatever program one chooses--if you work the program. I just happen to like the classic FIRMS.