Jen in Real Life (guest post).

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Hey ya’ll, I am Jen and I super excited that Miz is letting me hang in her neck of the woods.

Thanks for having me!!

(MizFit note: by “having” Jen means demanding-she -come-over-to-play.  I was fortunate enough to meet JenInRealLife in real life at Fitbloggin and she’s amazing.  Kind, funny, sincere, beautiful, wise, giving, loving, & inspiring.)

When I am not bumbling around these parts, you can find me at Jen In Real Life rambling about losing weight and finding health while living a real life.

Today I am going to tell you about a benefit to this crazy journey that I have only just discovered.  About five minutes ago, I was picking up clothes from the floor and putting them into a basket in my hallway.

My hallway is pergo (that pretty almost hardwood flooring) and there were clothes everywhere (don’t judge) and I slipped. This is not unusual at all. What is unusual is the fact that I did not fall.

Let me repeat that.

I.did.NOT.fall.

To some this may not be a great feat. But for me this is HUGE!!

I am a clumsy. I may very well be the clumsiest person in America.  You want examples?!?

>When I was a teenager, I was walking my dog and I walked funny and fell and sprained my ankle.

>I have fallen UP steps and put my teeth through lip.

>I have tripped on my shadow, pieces of lint, and strange, invisible creases in the floor.

I have always been a klutz. But, I have just had a crazy realization.

Working out has almost cured my clumsiness.

SAY WHAT?!?!

I know, it sounds crazy. Those who know me “in real life” would tell ya, I am a bit nutty and I do tend to say some crazy things.

Anyhow, back to where I started, when I slipped but did not fall on the laundry in my hallway, I had a revelation.

Along with losing weight and gaining a few muscles I have gained a sense of balance.  Funny thing, I barely recognize that I have gained muscles but I know they are there, they just gotta be there.  I notice changes in the size of my body parts as I lose weight but I am finally feeling strong.

But today, I feel strong and steady.

Last year, slipping on laundry would have sent me tumbling. I would have fallen and I would have hurt myself. I probably would have wound up with another sprained ankle.

This time last year, I was still a newbie in the weightloss game and I focused on my food and I had very little activity. I had no idea how to work out.   Truth be told, I still don’t but I rely on the “experts” to guide me.

I started walking every day and every day I walked a little bit further.  I walked on my treadmill and then I added in workout dvds. I started with walking workouts mainly. I wanted exercise without really having to push myself too far out of my comfort zone.

In reality, I was always afraid of falling and hurting myself. I have never admitted this out loud, but I was scared.  I did not want to sprain another ankle.  It only took me 15 months but I have finally broken free from that fear.

I am trying new things, like kickboxing and running, and I am pushing my body to limits I never knew were possible.  I still worry that my clumsiness will get me hurt but I have stopped letting that fear hold me back.

Ya know what I learned?!?

I am strong. I may be clumsy but I am strong.

And you want to know what happens when you are clumsy and you push yourself and you gain muscles??

Well, if you are me, you become a little less clumsy or at the very least you learn to react quicker. When I began to slip on that laundry, I could have fallen and walked away with many bruises.  Instead I was able to “catch” myself and stay upright.

My body is responding.  My body is taking care of me now that I am taking care of my body.

Working out has helped me in numerous ways.

Becoming less clumsy may just be the strangest side effect to exercise I have ever heard…what is the best side effect to your exercise efforts??

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Comments

  1. Best side effect? Being able to go grocery shopping and NOT have to stop every ten steps to “readjust” the handles because the bags are too heavy.

    And also, not looking drunk when I do anything requiring balance. Seriously. When I started working out, my trainer would (involuntarily) laugh when I did lunges as I looked completely trashed and tended to fall over or flail my arms for balance. I was a riot.

  2. It’s so nice to get to know you better, Jen. You are adorable!

    One of the biggest benefits of exercise I’ve found is sleep…good ole deep, delicious, sleep!

  3. I’m clumsy, too, and have tripped over solid air. I’m glad exercise has helped you with this. Exercise ahs allowed me to stretch enough that I can reach higher and take stuff off higher shelves without going on tiptoes. It’s a good feeling.

  5. Nice to meet ya Jen! Congratulations on your journey thus far. Being “addicted” to working out was my strangest side effect. Really miss it physically and emotionally when I don’t do it.

  6. You are doing awesome…and this is proof that you are not only changing your body on the outside, but firming up your core that everyone talks so much about! I’m so glad you are crossing those exercise boundaries…it’s just the beginning from you i bet!

  8. You GO girl! I love these kinds of NSVs (non-scale victories :-). And isn’t it funny how we classify and define ourselves as being clumsy or whatever when the fact is, it really isn’t true??

    Anyway, the NSV that stands out in my mind is the day I was cleaning the bathroom. I was taking the shower curtain down (ring by ring) to wash it and realized that I didn’t have to stop and put my arms down at all…it used to be that I didn’t have the strength in my arms to take down the curtain or put it back up without taking numerous breaks. Now, no problemo 🙂

  9. YES!

    One of the greatest parts about working out is that you get to *know* your body, really know it. Part of that is what we pros call proprioception–the ability to know where your body is in space. Some people come by that intuitively, naturally. We call that kinesthetic intelligence, and usuallly we call those people “athletes.”

    But the truth is that *anyone* can become athletic, no matter how clumsy they are. I was always clumsy, too, but I remember this one time when I was carrying a bowl of salsa out onto our deck. I tripped and dropped the bowl, but caught myself on one foot AND caught the bowl of salsa RIGHT SIDE UP! I ended up standing there like a statuary in a fountain, holding this bowl of salsa in awe of the fact that nothing was broken and nothing had spilled.

    So I can add a resounding YES and AWESOME and WAY TO GO JEN! You are becoming a highly-tuned, proprioceptive machine!

  10. Hi Jen & great to read about you!!! Exercise & strength training does sooooooooooo much! I have also caught myself from falling many times but what I love is having muscles & being strong & being able to do things for myself & not having to ask others.. especially as I age. At 52, I do things some 30 year olds can’t do!

  12. That is the wonderful thing about beng healthy and fit. You start to see your body change in ways you never expected. Most people start this journey just wanting to be thin, but eventually we all realize there is so much more to our bodies and our lives. It’s a great feeling, isn’t it.

  13. One of the unexpected things for me was that my posture improved a lot! I have great posture now. Also, it’s much easier to carry heavy things such as 5 gallon paint buckets.

  15. I am not afraid. I am much more adventurous. I will take on physical challenges without a second thought. I have much more confidence in both my mental and physical capabilities.

  16. I hadn’t thought about it much, but yes, I am much less clumsy than I used to be. I have had some pretty bad injuries from twisting wrong and falling hard. I’m glad you pointed this out.

  17. Yay Jen! So freakin awesome. It is absolutely amazing how encompassing working out and getting healthy is. It changes so many things we wouldn’t even think about.

  18. Working out strengthens your core. Your core is what gives you that increase sense of balance. Love this post. It is amazing what we can change in our lives if we put a little effort into it.

    For more info on how to strengthen your core http://bit.ly/9Lj7PR.

  19. wow!!! I never even thought of the connection between working out and being clumsy!

    uh…you wanna know what I found to be the best side effect to my workout efforts? The big “O”! Seriously! I’ve wanted to write about it for so long but have been asked not to by someone else involved in the big “O” encounters.

  22. Jen, you are hilarious! You are so not the only clumsy person out there.And the invisible creases in the floor? It’s the Carpet Monster.

  23. my oh. Those clumsy storie of yours…hehe

    I noticed a very cool side effect last weekend. I put on a dress!!! And look hawt. Until that day, I had not worn a dress in YEARS – about 8 years. sheesh. I wearing cutie-sexy dresses again with confidence. 🙂

  24. Oh, I’m a clumsy one, too! Working out has definitely helped me stay on my feet as I bumble around – LOL! It’s also increased my confidence. Definitely a huge side effect!

    Winks & Smiles,
    Wifey

  25. Ooh, I was totally going to say that feeling STRONG and having no back pain were the best side-effects of working out and getting fit. Then PFG threw the Big O into the mix…however shall I choose?! Oh, wait – I don’t have to. So, that’s my list of top three! Great guest post and I’m looking forward to discovering your blog, Jen!

  26. I may have you beat. I was walking down my driveway and twisted my foot in a little hole and broke it. Yes, that’s right, I broke my foot WALKING DOWN MY DRIVEWAY! UGGH!

    I’m still waiting for my balance to get better. I’m not flailing around on the elliptical or flying off the treadmill but I’m still not the most graceful gazelle in the herd.

  27. Hi Jen! Loved reading your post today! (Thanks, Miz, for hosting it!)

    Good heavens, what *hasn’t* surprised me about exercise? There’s the main reason I started: it helps regulate blood glucose levels. Then there’s all the stuff they talk about exercise providing but (not having given it much of a chance, didn’t really guy into), such as it helping regulate my moods and giving me more confidence. There’s the functional aspects: no more desk-job back pain, I’m able to life those nasty big ol’ water bottles onto the water cooler by myself, and I can do hard-core yardwork all day and hardly feel it later on. The most surprising, though? I measured 3/4 inch taller at the doctor’s office than I used to, from improved posture!

  28. interesting question. I dont know if it counts, but a good side effect is I have a steady schedule. I work from home, so getting to the gym at the same time everyday gets me out of bed and working at the same time everyday, too

  29. Your clumsy?

    We should have a contest.

    Last week I was at the gym with my trainer. I was walking to get a drink of water. Walking mind you. Not running. Not jumping. Not doing some awesome ab crunching lunge with a kettle ball over my head. Plain old walking.

    Yep, rolled my ankle and down I went.

    Nice Tara, real nice.

    *shakes head*

  31. Jen! Look at you here at Miz’s place! Great post, girl! And the biggest change for me since starting this workout business is all the sex I want to have. INSATIABLE. Trophy Husband loves it. So do I.

  33. I have noticed that too! As my stabilizing muscles got stronger, I became steadier. I have really weak ankles and have been afraid of hurting myself for years, but when I became fitter, I was able to do so much more without fear. Good for you!

  34. Jen – You might have some competition for being clutsy! I too have discovered that I can recover more quickly with my balance. It is some good stuff! Loved this post! xoxo

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