I almost gave up my gym membership, since it was getting so little use. Then I was inspired by a working mom, who I ran into on Saturday at my bi-monthly yoga class. She is a very happy new member, having switched from the Y, which she found crowded and unsafe for her toddler.
For the past several months, I had only worked out on non-busy weekends. And I felt guilty for it. Call it a New Year's resolution if you will, but I have finally decided that I should be allowed to do the things I enjoy and not feel guilty for imposing on Daddy's hobbies (computer gaming) while I pursue my own. Then I reconsidered my dislike of bringing Jonah to the gym: #1 - on our first and last visit, I had only been a mother for a couple months and leaving Jonah with strangers freaked me out, and #2 - the extra fee charged by the half hour, even though tiny, was a huge dis-incentive. Hooray! Both of these have been fixed! 1.) I am now a seasoned mom. 2.) The childcare now has a low monthly rate, which is a great incentive to go more often. And it turns out that one of the things I hated about my gym, having to reserve childcare in advance, has turned out to be a huge merit in making the trips part of our weekly schedule.
No, I don't have any guilt over leaving Jonah for 60-90min. twice a week to play with two adults and a room full of kids. In fact, at home I would likely be over-working and leaving him to play by himself. This saves us both from my own vices. So most weeks I manage three workouts: swimming on Tuesday, conditioning on Friday, and yoga on Saturday. Self-centered bliss.
