The year before I was pregnant with Zachary I had a failed pregnancy and it was one of the lowest points of my life. Around that same time, a friend posted about taking a Zumba class at the new Choice FItness location in Chelmsford, about 5 minutes from where I work. I hadn’t been to the gym for a couple of years, although I had been paying for a membership to this particular club for a long time.

It started with a Zumba class, and one day I tried a 5:30am bootcamp class. It was a way for me to do something positive for myself that I wouldn’t have been able to do while pregnant (starting a new high intensity fitness routine isn’t usually a thing you do when pregnant…).

It was during this time when I realized that exercise was my best form of stress relief - that it lifted me up when I’m not happy. The following year I stayed active the entire time I was pregnant with Zachary, and felt like a million bucks for most of the pregnancy. I was able to get active again after he was born.

I had the start of knee problems, and I’ve found that with exercise I’ve strengthened my legs to the point where I don’t have the knee pain anymore.

The past couple of months I’ve been inconsistent with going to the gym, but I’ve started pairing the gym with home exercise, so I’m still working out. Even if it’s only 30 minutes, I know it will start my day in the best possible way. Exercise has become a thing I make time for (even if today I skipped the gym to make sure Zach was good to go to school after taking a sick day yesterday).

I’m a better person, mentally and physically, because I decided to give the classes a try. I used to be so intimidated to step into a fitness class but I’ve learned how fun it is, how motivating, and how great the instructors are! I’m glad this was something I decided to do for myself.

When the alarm goes off at 4:15 it’s usually really difficult to get out of bed. I always tell myself the same thing - the workout will feel better than the extra sleep. And it’s true.

November is one of my favorite times of year. It’s getting cozy and we aren’t yet in the thick of the Christmas season quite yet. I’m thinking about the ways I’m thankful and would love for you to join me. Comment below or use the hashtag #amonthofthanks