Belly Dancing...I look like a wet noodle

Happy Monday Bleeps!

Well I like to make my life complicated....(didn't I just talk about simplifying your life?).  The Polar Plunge is this weekend and you know that means I need to ramp up the workouts.  Slight panic over the bathing suit issue...you know what I'm talking about.  Naturally it's extremely busy at work right now and they offered me overtime for this week.  BAH.  I could use the money.  Luckily, tonight was Belly Dancing Night.  So I was able to log on for a few hours after the workout tonight and get some extra work in. 

So let's talk about my Belly Dancing Progress.  I'm just going to put it out there.  I'm so glad this is not a video blog.  HaHa.  I AM getting better, but I am no where near good.  There are definitely some hip moves that I get extremely uncoordinated with.  My brain starts thinking and I get even worse.  I'm not giving up though.

I can feel my muscles in my belly when I'm doing it.  It feels good.  It's definitely more fun than crunches.  And I'm a beast at crunches.  This is elongating my muscles though and making them leaner.  *and hopefully taller...haha*

Thank goodness it's a fun workout.  I would have given up long ago if it wasn't. It's hard to stick with something that is difficult and uncomfortable.  It's easy to come up with excuses not to keep up with it.  "Well I didn't feel anything so it must not be working."  or "I'm just not that coordinated so it's not really for me."  These are WEAK excuses.  First of all, if you aren't feeling it, then chances are you aren't doing it right.  So keep at it.  Practice makes perfect.  I'm not about to strap on some ice skates and go out there trying a triple sow cow.  What are the odds that I am going to be perfect on the first shot?  Um...ZERO.  It takes work and practice.  Give it some time before you quit.

Challenge yourself also.  The Belly Dancing dvd has an instructional, a warm up, 3 workouts, and a cool down.  Each week I added a workout.  Tonight I was like a bunch of wet noodles by the time I got to workout 3.  But, I am pretty good at the first now.  I'm getting there on the second.  The third is very hippy and will take some time.  But, I'm up to the challenge.  I plan on giving a special private dance for Tony Stewart one day...Tony Stewart Call Me!  (seriously, I have faith that one day someone he knows will read this :-)

This is workout is completely out of my comfort zone.  I'm a kickboxer.  I'm a runner.  I'm not a dancer.  It's my challenge to myself.  I'm not giving up.  Of course it's a blow to the ego at first.  I've been losing the belly and doing really well with the running...I'm practically invincible!  Well Bam...back to reality.  I'm still learning.

So keep it fresh.  Find something that is outside of your comfort zone and challenge yourself.  You have it in you, you just have to give it some time...and some practice.  You are capable of so much more than you give yourself credit for. 

****Please note****
If you feel like you are alone on your journey and you just need some encouragement I am here for you!  Shoot me an email and I will do my best to check in on you or give you the words of support you need several times a week.  The journey is so much easier if you have support.  jhendersonfit@gmail.com/