Exercise is the best stress medicine

Exercise is truly the best medicine for my stress, and this week I had a lot of need for it...

This week I was in Richmond, VA for a regional meeting for work. Imagine being in educational and/or business meetings from 7:30 am till 6pm. 2 full days of that, with a half day on either side. But remember, you are constantly around co-workers (or Senior VPs in the case on the first 2 days) so you have to be on your 100% A game the whole time. O yeah, and I woke up at 5am Wednesday and Thursday morning to work out for an hour each day before hand. And I was up till 11:30pm each night networking....

Now I need to breath and reboot....It was a very educational and rewarding week. But I haven't been this emotionally, mentally, and physically exhausted since my last new hospital opening.

So when I got home I went immediately to the Y to get a solid lifting workout in. I started thinking I would do the first circuit Emily gave me, then decided to do both circuits- 2 sets each. It took almost 2 hours from start to finish, including a long stretch before and after. I had just been in a car for 4.5 hours...I was stiff and my body was telling me so in the beginning. I considered stopping early after some elbow pain but luckily a mini break, some extra stretching throughout and lighter weights the first set worked out the kinks. Totally worth it because by the end of the first "Mega set" I felt great! There isn't anything better for a stress headache then a solid endorphin releasing workout!

I did lift on Wednesday in the tiny excuse of a hotel gym that the Marriott had while some scrawny guy was "trying" to do P90X. Before you think I'm a horribly judgmental person, cut me a break- the guy was just NOT bringing it! Many of you know my love of Tony Horton, so to see somebody going through the motions with such a lack of enthusiasm was annoying. It's one thing if you are really trying and just not doing well (been there, done that) but when you're just attempting to go through the motions - chose another workout for goodness sake!! And on top of that, he was hogging all the weights, the bench, and really any spare room.

The nice thing about him being in the way and lacking in any enthusiasm was that it made me want to show him up....So I did. Completely and totally. Emily (and Tony Horton) would have been proud. lol. Not only did I do most of the moves that he did on top of my normal set of squat and lunge variations (after doing a solid run and incline workout), but I also did my stationary squats on the wall with 10 lb weights, plus the alternating one-legged stationary squats that he was attempting (with said 10 lb weights in each hand). Yes, they are hard (and make you scream at Tony because he enjoys making others feel pain)- but you are doing P90X in a public gym- you better BRING IT! At least TRY to get into an actual squat instead of just casually leaning against the wall with your leg a foot off the ground. LAME!

So, thank you fitness for giving my brain and body a reboot- I needed it!