stairway...to heaven?

I live on the 2nd floor of an apartment building, which means it's only one short flight of stairs up to our apartment. But even that leaves me out of breath, so I still take the elevator. Yesterday though, I was doing laundry so I was down in the basement. I hit the button to call the elevator but it was taking forever, so I decided I'd just take the stairs, even though it would be two flights.

To my huge surprise, by the time I got to our apartment, I was only the tiniest bit winded. I'd taken two flights of stairs and found I was less winded than when I used to struggle to make it up just one flight.

This seems amazing to me, as well as, frankly, somewhat impossible. I've only lost 12 lbs and done a handful of DVD workout sessions which doesn't seem to me to be enough to make that kind of difference, but there definitely is a difference. I can't explain it, but 'I'll take it', as they say.

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In other news, can I get a 'woop-woop' for TEAM LYNN??? Unfortunately I think that's the opposite team from most of my new bloggy friends, but that's okay, as long as you all don't have any hurt feelings when we kick your butts. :)

(Leave a comment if you ARE on Team Lynn, though -- I just scanned the list quickly and I might have missed some people.)

Shuffle! To the side! Now squat! Side squat! Shuffle back! You're doing great!

It's a walking DVD made for little old Weight Watchers ladies, I thought. How hard could it be?

I thought, I'll do the 20 minute walk, instead of the 30, but then I'll also do the toning workout from the other tape. That should be enough of a workout for me.

I pop the walking DVD in, and select the 20 minute walk, and then I stop it to grab my pedometer. I spend 20 minutes just trying to figure out how to program the thing. I restart the video.

Okay, we're walking. We're marching. This is pretty easy. Ok, now we're 'mambo-ing'. I can't get the rhythm of the steps right, but it doesn't matter cause now we're LUNGING. And SQUATING. And shuffle-shuffle-shuffling. Except mostly I'm just staring at the television. And the cats are exchanging glances, like they know I've finally gone crazy and how long do they have to wait before they break into the tin of cat treats?

By the end of the 20 minutes, I'm huffing and puffing and I still haven't figured out the shuffle. I collapse onto the couch and drink some water. There is no way I'm doing that toning video now.

After I relax for a bit, and stop sweating, I realize I still have to go to the store to get cat litter, so I throw my coat on over my workout top and head out the door. I start to go down the first step and my thighs practically give out on me. I have to hobble down the stairs like the little old Weight Watchers lady that I am. Great -- now I've got the shuffling thing down.

I head out to get cat litter feeling both pleased that I got such a good workout, and bummed that it took so little to do it.