And nothing hurt!

I am flying high this Monday morning!  Normally I hate Mondays - and I still do - but I'm coming off a FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC weekend, and I'm still feeling great from it!

Temps were in the mid 70's and I think Marc and I were outside literally 90% of the day both days.  I got SO MUCH accomplished!  

Which brings me to the topic at hand today.  On Saturday I got up and lifted weights early in anticipation of spending most of the day outside.  Then I washed my new vehicle and had lunch.   Then it was off to work on my flower beds.  I have a number of beds and every year they need some work done to get them ready for flowers, especially since we have had clay-like soil.  One bed I started only last year, so that needed a ton of work.

So for the next 3 hours, tools in hand, I weeded and worked up the soil in 7 large beds.  I also carried large bags of topsoil to fill in spots that needed extra dirt.  It was hard work.  

I thought about a couple of things - first, I talked here not too long ago about defining exercise.  This weekend was proof to me that the exercising that I am doing is what I would call FUNCTIONAL FITNESS.  Meaning, it's not just for cosmetic changes, but it truly reflects fitness that is applicable in the "real world".  We all have all seen these body builder type guys who have amazing muscles and look fantastic BUT they are useless when it comes to "real life" activities.  Anyone who has watched reality competition shows has seen that these muscular guys have no endurance and their ginormous muscles don't give them an advantage when it comes to overall athletic challenges.  It is not unusual to see them one of the first ones out.

That's one of the things I really like about P90X - it focuses on body exercises that you can use for "real life" activities - not just in the gym.  My strong arms and core were put to the test this weekend, that's for sure!  I used my garden claw to work up all the soil and repeatedly used a hand claw while on my hands and knees to rip up and dig out the weeds.  And there was a hell of a lot of squatting and bending over.  

In my prior life, these were tasks I dreaded!  My back would be KILLING me before 20 minutes had passed and my knees would hurt so badly.  Not to mention I would be tired and out of breath.  Not true anymore!  I also noticed in the middle of the night when I got up to pee that previously after a day of work like that, getting on and off the toilet would leave my muscles SCREAMING.  Nope, nothing - and I mean nothing - hurt!  

It is such a good feeling to know that I am fit and strong for things that really matter!  So when you are pushing yourself to get fit, remember - this is not just about looking good in a gym - you are building the base to make everything in your life easier and more enjoyable!