Uuffda - Exercise makes muscles sore. And in other news, water is wet.

Wow, my arms and shoulders are tired today. I met up in the evening with Leslie for a dance lesson with Jen. We did that geeky-level of nit-picking that excites me about dance: evaluating EVERY TINY DETAIL in our techniques and postures. There were several moments of "wow, my brain is full!" that I adore so much.

But the real exhaustion today lingers only because I had Jen evaluate my technique and posture in my stretch-band routines, added a few more workout stretches to my repetoire, and then we worked through a DVD together afterwards. I say "we" but Jen worked through more of the exercises than me, and we definitely did NOT last through the entire set of workouts. The bellydance instructor in the recording was also an award-winning body builder once upon a time, so naturally she's setting the bar higher than my current level of capabilities.

I have significant tightness through my pectorals, my shoulder flexibility, and my latissimi dorsi muscles (among other chest / arm / torso muscle issues). I can barely link my fingers together behind the small of my back (and certainly cannot lift my arms from there). Then there's that exercise to stretch your shoulders where you cross right over left, palms out, elbows crossed over each other... my elbows are nowhere close to each other, so I can just put the backs of my fingers from each hand together in the cross-over. Today: My left shoulder has significant soreness, but that kind that says, "Ooo, you were working out, weren't you?" not that kind of pain that speaks of actual injury.

I managed to log 5.51 miles total yesterday (2.87 mi on my one-hour brisk lunch walk), plus an hour dancing, plus the stretch bands evaluation and the partial workout with the DVD. Truly a good fitness day, if a muscle-sore day today.

What are your favorite ways to get moving? What are you favorite ways to get exercise for free, without paying for a gym membership? I love exhausting as many free methods as possible, without the "exercise tax" of signing up for more equipment.

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Today's Blessing That I'm Thankful For: Jen, such a continuing source of inspiration and motivation; Leslie, for being another one of my favorite women to dance with.