I've been MIA since August. Getting back into a routine with school starting back up was tricky. During the summer I got used to taking evening walks with the longer daylight hours. With school starting back up, and new students in my studio, I find I'm teaching until 7:00 three evenings a week. And it's dark when I'm done.

This summer I was walking 3 miles a day but let my other exercising go. Having both my son and daughter living at home made it hard to find time to get in front of the tv and work out with my Wii Active. I don't really like an audience when I'm working out!
So walking daily became my thing. But with the arthritis in my feet, walking daily caused more pain. So in the fall I went back to walking every other day, sometimes 1.5-2 miles, with one day a week getting in my 3 mile walk. But I didn't pick back up on the Wii exercise with resistance bands.

Yearly checkup in October: blood sugar is normal (was worried about that), but my cholesterol is high again, in spite of being on meds for it. Bottom line: more cardio. Walking isn't enough cardio, as I can't walk fast enough without stressing my feet.

So in a moment of idiocy I bid on a three month pass to a local fitness club (proceeds went to the MTNA Foundation fund). It takes me about 20 minutes to drive to the gym, which is already a strike against it. But I went three times last week. And it's okay. But I still like working out at home better. I can workout on my own schedule, without having to take a whole morning (20 minutes there, 45-60 minutes to work out, then 20 minutes home). At home: just throw on the clothes, work out, then cool down.

This week my car has been in the shop most of the week. So I couldn't drive to the gym. I dropped off my car Monday and walked home (2.5 miles). Had my daughter drop me off to pick it up Tuesday, and ended up leaving it and walking home. Wednesday walked to pick it up, was almost there and decided to turn around and leave it there as I didn't really need it. So three days in a row walking.
It dawned on me I needed to work out at home since I wasn't getting to the gym. So I pulled out my Wii, put in new batteries, pulled up my self-made workouts and put all the exercises back to the easy level and did a workout. Wow. I could feel it! Just did the second of my two self-made workouts today and am feeling it, too. Which is good.

So I don't know if I'll make it back to the gym. If not, each workout cost me $10, but the money went to the Music Teachers National Association Foundation Fund which helps fund "programs that nurture the creation, performance, study and teaching of music. " So even if I don't get back to the gym, I've helped support a cause I believe in, and I've kickstarted my home workouts again. Not bad for $30!