Investing in Me: Why I Finally Joined an Exercise Class

It finally happened! I signed up for an exercise class this week. Previously, I felt like this was such an extravagant expense because I can exercise at home for free, right? As a stay-at-home Mom and homeschooling Mum, our single income family weighs every expense carefully. Don’t get me wrong, the sacrifice is well worth the cost. In fact, the consistent, daily and plentiful time we are privileged to spend together is priceless. No amount of money can purchase that.

Here’s how I saw it; we have a set of multiple weights, an exercise ball and even a stationary bike. There are millions of free exercise videos available online that meet every single exercise desire and routine you could imagine. So, tell me why I have not exercised, using all these vast resources available to me in the comfort of my home in over a year?

Healing begins when you acknowledge that there is an issue to begin with. This me, digging my head out of the sand and coming to terms with the fact that I’m not a self-motivator when it comes to exercise. There are people who set exercise goals targets and then proceed to follow through diligently. I on the other hand have been great at setting the goals and targets but have sadly not followed through on the said set goals and targets. I thought maybe the goals and targets I set previously were too high, so I lowered them a bit but still that did not change the outcome. I still did not workout. Next, I printed out a reasonable exercise schedule and taped it to the wall beside my bed, in the hopes of triumphantly checking off boxes at the end of the day, thinking that would motivate me and hold me accountable. Didn’t work either.

That is when I counted the cost. Talking it over with my husband, we both agreed that the health and wellness benefits of signing up for a group exercise class outweighed the financial cost. We would pay for me to join an exercise class. I’m worth it. My health and wellness is well worth the investment of time and finances.

Delmaine Donson

I started with 2 times a week and let me tell you that push is just what I needed. We have invested money into these classes, a sacrifice that will not be wasted so there is no way I’m skipping class. I’m there 15 minutes early getting psyched up. Each class is 50 minutes long, but it literally feels like only 10 minutes long. There is something about having a skilled instructor walk you through each movement, correcting your form and encouraging you to keep up the momentum. The collective energy of a group class charging you to push and engage more, all these aspects worked in concert causing the time to fly by. I broke into a healthy sweat, moved muscle groups that had been dormant too long and left feeling energized in both my body and spirit!

I did it! I exercised! I’m not a failure because I actually worked out and it did not remain an unchecked box haunting me and chipping away at my self esteem and sense of accomplishment. It’s not just me, my family is also benefitting greatly from this surge of energy and pivot towards health and wellness. Yes, I do it for my health, but I do it for theirs as well. A healthy Mum is vital to a healthy family. The example this sets for our children speaks louder than any motivational speaker they will hear on the subject. “Mummy is going for her exercise class” is a statement that reminds them to take care of their bodies too, not just their minds, spirit and soul.

Beloved, I pray that in every way you may succeed and prosper and be in good health [physically], just as [I know] your soul prospers [spiritually]. 3 John 1:2