Two weeks ago, I revealed that I made the decision to run a 5K for my birthday in February – a decision that came after nine years of less than frequent exercise. My adventures in fitness continue below…

I’ve been waking up at the crack of dawn for Shocker Fitness and even tried Zumba, but I’ve also been rocking out with my favorite form of exercise – dance parties. They’re easy to schedule into my day because all I need is a radio and an open dance floor (usually my basement) and I’m ready to go. Ain’t no party like a Carly dance party ’cause a Carly dance party don’t stop. I want to invite you into my little world so you, too, can have your very own dance party.

Step 1: Throw all dignity out the door. If you are worried about how you’ll look. you’re doing it wrong.

Step 2: Put on your best outfit. My personal favorite is an off-the-shoulder pink shirt, Flashdance-style, and some black tights. A side ponytail is not a requirement but is highly recommended.

Step 3: Break out the iPod and get moving. With songs such as Lady GaGa’s “Just Dance,” Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” and Miley’s “Party in the USA”, you’re all set. Just keep dancing until you can’t dance any more.

I find dance parties are the best stress relievers after a hard day. Other fun workouts that I enjoy include:

• Taking my dogs for a walk around the city: We go really fast until Buddy has to stop for a break. A break in his case means finding any and every thing in sight to pee on. The breaks gives me  a chance to catch my breath and enjoy the scenery of the city.
• Playing tennis: My favorite courts to play on are the ones at College Hill Park and at Riverside Park. Usually I can find open courts; if not,  I like to walk around and warm up before I get my Serena Williams on.
• Sex: I think this one speaks for itself. Just make sure to change the songs on your iPod for this, because if there’s anything that ruins the mood, Miley is it.
• Having snowball fights: Running around in the snow, throwing snowballs at my friends and maybe doing a few snow angels while I’m at it is my idea of a good time.  Plus it usually ends with sitting around drinking some hot chocolate and laughing at our silliness. Being an adult is highly overrated. Kid-like activities are always more fun for me. Foursquare, anyone? Oh, and let’s not forget tetherball. I happen to be the undefeated champ at tetherball and it’s a good upper-body workout.

So far I am having ridiculous amounts of fun exercising. I guess the real lesson I’ve taken away from this so far is that I don’t have to get it right all the time. I still can’t run the full warmup lap at Shocker Fitness without stopping, and don’t even get me started on the pushups. The point is to get off the couch and get moving. I had visions in my head that it would get easier, but it’s really just beginning. February, and the 5K, will be here before I know it.

Related posts:

1. [move] Running Just As Fast As I Can: Week 2
2. [move] Running Just As Fast As I Can – Week 1
3. [move] Running Just As Fast As I Can: Week 4
4. [move] Running Just As Fast As I Can: Week 5
5. [move] Running Just as Fast as I Can: Week 7