I recently joined a local choir.  I have been a singer for a pretty hefty portion of my life, even majoring in vocal performance in college, but as soon as I graduated, I needed to get away from it.  After taking two years off from singing in pretty much any capacity, I was itching to get back into it.  But I knew I didn’t want to go in as intensely as I had before.  So, I went back to my roots.  I joined a local church choir that meets only a couple of blocks from my house.  I am by far and away the youngest person there by a good thirty or forty years.  When I first set out to join, I was nervous.  I hadn’t sung in awhile and I wasn’t sure if I would like singing in that setting, but I couldn’t be happier that I joined.  As I was sitting listening to those around me, I couldn’t help thinking about how this paralleled so perfectly with starting a workout regimen.

We all start at different levels.  Some have a natural talent for running at the drop or a hat or just being able to lift heavier than the person next to them, but to get better, they have to train.  You can’t expect to get fit by just wishing it.  You can’t expect to be a good singer if you never sing.  Everyone starts somewhere.  Even if you are the worst singer in the world, as long as you dive in and try, who cares.  The same can be said for working out.  Maybe you can’t even run one mile.  If you start working for it, eventually you will get there.  You just have to break past that comfort zone and just try it.  Just start.  You could be the worst singer, runner, pretty much anything in the world, but as long as you’re trying at it, it doesn’t matter.

Here’s a little fall full-body workout for you to try that you can either do one time through for a quick 15 minute workout or twice through for a bigger challenge.  Either way, it’s a great one whether today is your first day hitting the gym or not.  As long as you’re getting out there and pushing yourself out of that comfort zone, you should be proud.  And at the end of the day, that’s all that counts.

-sj