🥕 Walk 5 of 5 and Jazzercise #56 — TGIF Latin Dance with Darlene! 💃🎶

WE MADE IT TO FRIDAY! 🎉

Five walks. Five days. Another week of the Starbucks Carrot Method officially in the books! 🥕🚶‍♀️

And today was extra fun because Carrots for a Cause is officially off and running! This whole 31-day, 62-mile October challenge is about getting out there, moving my body, and raising some money for a cause that matters — without pretending I suddenly became the kind of person who enjoys boring, miserable exercise. 😂

Because here’s the thing I’ve realized:
When I was growing up, I’d see people exercising and think, Nope. That looks absolutely miserable.

The sweaty clothes. The serious faces. The whole “I am suffering for my health” aesthetic.

And yet… how many miles did I put on riding my bicycle, roller skating, rollerblading, and generally tearing around Indian Bend Wash when I was younger?

A LOT.

I was exercising.

I just didn’t know I was exercising. 😂

Apparently my real problem wasn’t movement.

It was the exercise fashion sense.

Give me some ridiculousness. Give me some personality. Give me a selfie station. Give me a ridiculous hat. Give me a PR cat sitting on a spring-loaded coffee cup on my dashboard. Give me something that makes me laugh.

NOW we’re talking.

Life is boring if you don’t let your inner child out to play occasionally. And today that inner child got to come along for the ride.

Walk Receipts

Carrots for a Cause – American Cancer Society 62-mile October Walking Challenge

And then came Jazzercise #56! 💃🔥

TGIF LATIN DANCE WITH DARLENE!

I headed into class ready to spend an hour dancing with Darlene and all my Jazzercise buddies, and apparently we decided Friday needed to be a cardio event. 😂

Jazzercise Receipts

Fitbit’s receipts:
🔥 506 calories burned
❤️ 131 bpm average heart rate
⚡ 41 minutes in the vigorous zone
🟢 20 minutes in the moderate zone
🎯 102 active zone minutes
💃 1 hour, 1 minute, 51 seconds of dancing

And yes, Fitbit even informed me:
> “You really pushed through that Jazzercise hour.”

Well, DUH. 😂

Although Fitbit apparently also thinks it knows something about my relationship with Jazzercise that I don’t know.

It tried to tell me Jazzercise isn’t my favorite way to move.

WHO TOLD YOU THAT, FITBIT?! 😂

Sir, I am on Jazzercise #56.
• I changed my membership to unlimited.
• I show up with my people.
• I know the instructors.
• I know the routines.
• I have opinions about the routines.
• And when Darlene puts on Latin dance, apparently I spend 41 minutes in the vigorous zone.

I think we’re past the “she tolerates Jazzercise” stage, Fitbit! I love it!💃😂

And the best part?

By the time Jazzercise was finished, I had already logged 10,868 steps and officially crossed my weekly cardio goal at 424 of 415 minutes — 102%!

Not bad for somebody who supposedly doesn’t like exercise.

But that’s really the whole point of this journey.

I’m not trying to become somebody who loves suffering through workouts.

I’m finding movement that fits me.

Walking to Starbucks. Dancing with my friends. Playing pinball. Exploring places. Riding, skating, wandering, laughing, taking ridiculous pictures and occasionally letting the inner child grab the steering wheel.

Movement in real life still counts.

And when you make it fun?

You might actually forget you’re exercising.

🥕 Walk 5 of 5: DONE.
💃 Jazzercise #56: DONE.
🎶 TGIF Latin Dance with Darlene: DONE.
👟 Five walks for the week: DONE.
❤️ Cardio goal: CRUSHED.

Now let’s go see what kind of ridiculousness Friday has in store.

Because apparently 50-year-old me has finally figured out what younger me already knew:

If it isn’t fun, make it fun.