You can do so much more than you know when it comes to exercise

Was having a discussion about cross-fit with a younger friends as I expressed my trepidation about trying a new cross-fit program.  Most days I wonder if I am too old to be doing this stuff. She said, as those of us in the exercise mindset often say, "Come out and do what you can do."  She was being both supportive and encouraging.

As I went through the Tuesday version of our Hartsville YMCA Bootfit with Robbie McLendon, I got to wondering about that advice. Thinking about doing what you can do is going to keep a lot of people out of the Y, off the roads, out of the pool, away from the weight room, off the Spin bike, away from the Yoga class and certainly miles from any bootfit or crossfit.

For months some of my Spin friends had been doing Robbie's Beginner Bootfit class and it just looked way more than I could ever do. I kept talking myself out of it until a couple of people along with Robbie somehow hit the right encouragement chord.  I went. I have been going ever since.

It is not something I thought I could do. Many nights I wonder if I will make it through. But it was true -- I could do it and do do it. I am not going to tell you it is pretty but as Robbie likes to say about his mega-exercise days -- "got 'er done."

My point -- don't do what you can do. Go do something and be amazed at what your body will help you accomplish when you provide the direction.  Tonight for example: four Hindu pushups; eight situps, 12 squats; 20 yards of bear crawl and 100 meters of running as many times as you could make it in 14 minutes. I had 10 meters left to run as the buzzer sounded for my seventh full rep this evening. Honestly, six or seven months ago I could not run a meter. That was a 16 minute AMRAP this evening and a challenge after last night's 400 meters and lots of burpees; then 800 meters and lots of burpees and then 1200 meters and only ten more burpees. It was a killer over 19 minutes but it was an intense physical workout that tested both body and mind and - I passed.

Do and you will be amazed at what you can do and what you will do. Join Us #YMCAUPPERPEEDEE.