DaY 2!

ex-er-cise: activity that requires physical or mental exertion, especially when performed to develop or maintain fitness.

This week marks the beginning of it all! I have waited over a year for this week to manifest itself to me in all of its glory and now that it is here, I am stoked! Due to problems I had with my leg and surgeries that I had as a result of those problems, exercise has not exactly been #1 on my to-do list lately. I had a rather extensive surgery this summer, which caused me to have to be extremely cautious and mindful of my bone's welfare. Again, exercise was left out of the equation for a while until I saw via x-rays that my leg was up to doing it again.

Yesterday, I did a workout that has been a part of my life since I was a little girl. I used to do it with my mom and I have the moves and words included in it memorized! That's right- memorized! Be jealous! The workout I'm referring to is... DRUM ROLL PLEASE... Jane Fonda's Step Aerobic and Abdominal Workout! Though I have some pretty awesome exercise dvds such as Beach Body's 10-minute workouts in my collection (those are the workouts led by the same guy who does P90x), I chose to begin my exercise conquest with Jane because as I stated earlier, Jane and I go way back! I LOVE her workouts for many reasons! I'll state them below:

Reason 1: Her workouts are not too hard for my leg to handle and let's just say that the moves I do on them make EVERYONE jealous when I show them off at dances! You should see the looks on people's faces when I bust those moves out! I save them for special occasions on account of my desire to refrain from making people feel insecure or inferior. Fact of the matter is, Jane Fonda's choreography could make any person feel inferior.

Here's a picture taken straight from the workout, which shows just ONE of the many moves that would make your friends envious at dances if you chose to flaunt them. I like to call this move the "drop-it-like-it's-hot" move. It's a shame that Jane and her friends didn't receive the credit they deserved for this move. They were one of the first to do it on film, as this exercise video came out in 1992. The "Drop It Like It's Hot" song, which came out in 2004, merely mimicked this move.

 

While I am at it, I'd also like to show another picture taken from Jane's workout, which shows how Jane's friends were the first ones to do "Soulja Boy" moves.

This photo clearly shows that the modern-day Soulja Boy dance crew ain't got nothing on this exercise crew! BOOM!

This brings me to reason 2: Jane and her cronies were pioneers in doing choreography that would last for and be copied for years to come. They left a legacy on both the exercise and the dance world, which is a huge accomplishment.

Reason 3: There's something so magical about the way that the people are dressed in Jane's aerobics videos! Their teased hair, brightly-colored leotards, and high socks are exquisite!

Jeannie (on the far left) is seen sporting a Picassoesque leotard, which shows just the right amount of arms and thighs. The neon colors seen on it scream, "I'm here!" Standing next to her is Laurel, who is seen sporting a simple, black leotard. Her leotard is embellished by the black belt that is on her lower abdomen. You know what they say about black- once you go black, you never go back. This statement applies to the fashion world too people. Last, Mark (the only male in this picture), is seen wearing a bright orange tank top and skin-tight burgundy shorts to emphasize his incredible manly physique. I'm still wondering why he didn't wear a leotard like the women next to him. He had big potential in that arena, but simply chose not to live up to it. Big bummer...

The two women with red circles around their heads are wearing some of my favorite leotards! Here's a close-up of the girl who is seen wearing a whimsy, purple-colored, floral one. She adds class to her outfit by wearing purple spandex pants underneath the attractive leotard she's sporting. Nothing screams sexy as loudly as the combination seen below!

Why don't people dress like this anymore? I know you're asking yourself this very question right now and though I may never know the answer to a deep question like this, I do know that many people (including myself) could never pull such style and elegance off in the way that Jane and her cohorts so effortlessly did in the workout. I could try, but I'm very confident that if I did, I would look like a red-headed step child at a family reunion. Two words: not pretty.

Reason 4: Beyond their dress, the enthusiasm that Jane's possy possesses as they say things like, "Give it to me Mark," "Have some fun right here," or even the occasional, "Can you talk to me? If you're having trouble, don't work so hard"- these motivational phrases pierce me to the core! I feel motivation stirring up inside of me and feel I can conquer the world when I hear them!

Here's a lovely picture of the people who lead the workout:

From left to right: Jeanne Ernst, Laurel Sparks, and Mark Brunetz

I know it's not the clearest picture in the world, but I wanted to make sure you could see another glimpse into the world of high fashion and elegance that is so vividly depicted in this picture! I wouldn't want to deprive you of the opportunity to witness such miraculous things.

Reason 5: If you recognized the last name in the picture above, it sounds familiar to you for a reason. An added bonus to doing this workout is that I get to see Mark Brunetz, the designer on the show, "Clean House," in his earlier days of fame. His permed hair is out of this world, don't you think?!

Reason 6: This is my final reason and it is sort of a tie between two things. The ab workout at the end of this exercise routine rocks! It lasts about ten minutes and it does the job! In addition to being able to interact with Jane on a one-on-one basis during this portion of the workout, I also have the privilege of admiring the bench, which has three steps on it in the colors: green, gray, and pink. This bench adds just the right amount of flavor to the workout and really is the cherry on top of my delicious Jane Fonda Aerobic sundae!

 All jokes aside, I am doing Jane's workout because it is what I know and it has worked for me in the past. I did it years ago faithfully and after I got into the routine of it all, I lost weight and got into better shape because of it. That is ultimately what I want. I want to be my best self. I want to be able to ACTUALLY wear some pretty dresses I bought months ago instead of letting them sit in my closet. I want to walk past a gorgeous guy and feel confident doing so in the hopes that maybe, just once, he'll think I'm quite the catch. :-) And by that, I do not mean that I hope he likes my body, but rather recognizes the confidence I exude while walking past him. I want to feel great in all the realms imaginable- mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally- basically any state that ends in an -ly, except for sexually. I'm staying away from that state! Don't you worry your little head about that one- I'm virtuous fools! Ultimately, I want to be healthy and strong so that as I pursue my career and become a mother one day, I'll be able to handle all of the physical demands that those jobs bring.

Let me just say that starting to exercise after I have not done so in over a year is one word: TORTURE! Can I get a hallelujah and an amen on that one?!!? It is during this week and the weeks that will follow that I have to remind myself that this is worth it. Day after day, I faithfully give myself the pep talk morning, noon, and night which consists of the following motivational statements: "Stephanie- you do the Jane Fonda workout! Don't you dare miss any days of enjoying the companionship of Jane and her cronies! Make them proud and bring honor to the aerobics world!" Okay, you caught me. I don't really give myself this pep talk morning, noon, and night. I only do it in the morning! Haha!

I would encourage any of you who are stumbling upon this masterpiece of blog exerciseness to follow in my footsteps and make a difference in your life! I'm not saying I've got it together completely, but rather am saying, my determination is going to help me to get into the best physical shape possible. Exercising is hard- I wish it were easier. Yet, I often tell my elementary students that they can DO hard things! This notion applies to adults and children alike! Make time to exercise and get some repellent for that nasty thing called laziness. And while you're at it, purchase a second repellent for laziness' best friend, insecurity. Be your best self! You could learn a little something from the Loreal makeup brand because you REALLY are "worth it!" They hit the nail on the head when they came up with that slogan! Don't do this exercising/getting in shape thing for your friends or for that boy who you're hoping will cast his glance in your direction- do it for YOU! Learn to love yourself! Trust me, that's a battle I believe most, if not all females face on a daily basis. I know that for me personally, when I feel good physically and mentally, my self-esteem falls into place and all of the elements of doubt that arise in my life dissipate. I say dissipate because for me, doubt or insecurity never completely go away. All I can do is work hard to be my happiest, healthiest self and I know that when I put forth the effort, I reap the rewards!

Here's to a lifetime of exercise! If you're currently starting to exercise or are trying to eat better, share your stories with me, as I'd love to hear them! I benefit from support and encouragement! In addition to the other blog posts I'll write in the near future, I will update this blog from time to time to let you know the details of my exercising journey! I've got Jane Fonda on my side and as a result of that, I know I'll never go wrong.

More than anything, I wish I had a workout buddy to exercise with! And I'm sure that after reading this and seeing the AMAZING pictures of Jane Fonda and her exercise team, YOU wish you could do her workout with me too! ;-)

Here is the magical workout in action! If you ever have a burning desire to partake of its greatness, this video includes the whole workout! It's your lucky day!