What’s so great about spin anyway
As a busy working mom, if I am going to leave my kids and miss time away from either the family or my work schedule, then whatever it is had better be worth it. Yesterday when I stepped back into Flywheel Millburn after a FIVE year hiatus because of medical issues, I can tell you with absolute certainty it was worth every second. You can feel the pulsating energy as soon as you step into the studio space. There is an intensity there that makes you want to do your best. Gina, the instructor for this ride, is incredible.. There is stadium seating in the studio and the lights go out. As soon as I clicked my cleats into the bike I felt like I had come home. The music started, my legs went, and I was back. I felt like a part of myself had been missing, like the party was going on without me all those years and I was all too aware. It was not just that I was dealing with GI problems, a bad fall that has permanently injured my back, and the struggle of gaining and losing and gaining the same 20 pounds; it is really that I have always loved spin, especially at Flywheel and I profoundly missed doing something I love. Now, there is another element to my fitness quest: as a professional female voiceover actor, it is essential that I maintain my instrument by staying in top physical form.
Other Strong Women
As a voiceover artist, I work like a dog. I work long hours and it is hard balancing my personal life and my business. I think, like a lot of other small business owners, I also struggle with boundary issues. There are so many times I leave my family and go down to the booth on a Saturday or late at night to do something for a client. So more than ever at this point in my life I need strong female role models! The spin instructors are unbelievable. The youngest ones I take class with are my age; however, most are about 8-10 years older than I am. They have very positive energy. It is not about what their bodies look like, it is about the way they have chosen to live their lives. They are extremely strong and fit and they have a “can do” spirit that is just fantastic to be around. It makes me feel that everything will be ok when I am around powerful ladies like this. Gina, Jill, and Candee rock my world and I bring that enthusiasm back into the booth with me. When I took Gina’s class yesterday just to be in the same space as her was so exciting. When she called out her age, 10 years older than mine, I was so inspired. I hope in 10 years we are both still riding passionately!
It’s good to leave the booth and see people!
I work very long hours in a padded foam booth. Granted it’s a particularly awesome booth with broadcast-ready equipment of which I am really proud, but at the end of the day it is still a padded foam booth and is quite isolating. When you walk into a workout place like Flywheel, and everyone there greets you, and you have friends who are also working out, it means so so much. You feel part of something bigger than yourself. This welness community is great on good days and bad days alike and trust me, we all have both, so it’s really important to have people. Whether it’s a gym friend you’ve known for years or just a kind sweaty guy on the bike next to you who is also doing his best to push through, feeling like you are not in the struggle of life alone is really special. As someone who was never talented enough to play team sports, I have learned to find my own team and to be thankful for it. We are lucky enough to live in the age of social media, so that support sytem can extend beyond the studio too which I really love!
It feels great…..
Sometimes working in voiceover is more sedentary than others. If I am doing a high energy commercial or an active character I might be moving around my booth a lot. If I am doing a corporate narration or a long eLearning module, in truth I am not moving so much and I have to struggle to keep my posture good so that my diaphragm is nice and open. Going back to spin yesterday felt amazing!! Moving, and moving fast, and really working up a sweat felt great. First, it was pleasant because Flywheel is just so nice and the music was great. Next, I got keratin in my hair recently so I did not dread coming home to the hour long blowout, so I must confess that actually took the stress away. Lastly, I have been doing A LOT of pilates so I was not worried about my back because I knew my core was up to the task. I just felt good to be there. It was wonderful.
So what happens next?? Well, I will take it one class at a time. I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself. On Monday my son and I are also starting the Max Fitness Challenge, so this is a week of new beginnings for me, and I am so glad to be sharing them with someone else!