Summoning my Inner Wonder Woman

Who would have thought something that looked like yoga could be so challenging?? In my latest quest to stay motivated to exercise (I'm now 29.5 pounds down) I've taken on the challenge of Pilates.

I call it a challenge because eventually I'm determined to stand on top of my mat at the end of a session, triumphantly raising my arms black power style. Right now I'm lucky if I can peel my almost lifeless body off the mat 10 minutes AFTER the tape has finished playing. Crawling to the fridge for some water, cursing my non controlled core all the way!

The secret to a successful Pilates session is a strong core. Don't know what it is do you? A strong core is a fancy way of saying strong stomach & back muscles. I'm sure I'd have all that too, but you'd have to search under the layers of fat (albeit fat diminishing slowly). In order to pitch your body upside down with one leg up, balancing on nothing but your arms, requires not only arm strength, but Wonder Woman like abs. I'm determined to get those.

Mind you have I have yet to do a full Pilates session. The most I've done is 15 minutes after collapsing in a big fat heap on the floor. I've learned to have a sense of humor while working out. I've tripped, slipped, and fallen and probably have burned more calories doing that and laughing at myself. (Who cares how I lose the weight right?) I mean really, the mildest thing I've done is Walk Away the Pounds. Safe, but enduring. Everything else so far, running, aerobics (pitched on a series of steps) salsa dancing (which is my favorite) is keeping me interested, while kicking my butt all at the same time. And the one I haven't mentioned yet is the stability ball. No one ever mentioned the core strength needed for that one. I'll have to do a whole other write up on that ball. Lets just say I've fallen on my neck one too many times on that thing!

But this Pilates, more specifically the 10 minute Crunchless Abs workout I've added to my cardio, requires me to summon my inner Wonder Woman powers. I was looking for alternatives to doing zillions of crunches, on and off that stability ball/neck breaker. I've contorted myself into many different positions while trying to emulate the sleak, slender, never been fat in their lives women on TV. I'm not sure I actually look like them considering my body doesn't allow me to do a side crunch with one arm perched perfectly with one leg extended, all the while HOLDING IN MY CORE MUSCLES! Makes me want to scream. Makes me want to put the truth lasso around the creators of Pilates and make them admit that thing is harder than 60 minutes of TaeBo.

But face the challenge I will. Soon I'll be able to write how easy that 10 minute session is, that I've moved on to a 50 minute one. Maybe its the fact that I'm doing the Pilates after 40 min. of cardio. Maybe I should try the contortions before I work myself into a sweat dancing to Michael Jackson's Thriller. I had only hoped that the sweat loosened the muscles that allow me to twist my body into pretzel like style, balancing on one fingernail. (And you thought all sweat did was cool you off, see now you've learned something)

In the meantime somebody just hand me a lasso, arm bangles and a cutting the coochie bathing suit and stand back as I circle myself into power!