It's been another hectic work week- went to a conference over this past weekend, travelled to Jersey for 3 days, came home for 12 hours and flew to Orange County for a 45-minute meeting, and got home only in time for a very late dinner with hubby.
Whew! I'm sorely in need of some "work-life balance"! But to be totally honest, I've just been one lazy slob ever since I got pregnant- if I'm not working, I just feel so tired all I want to do is vegetate on the couch. But as my nausea and general malaise gradually improve in the second trimester (mind you, not disappear, just ever-so-slightly improve), I feel like I need to peel myself off of the couch and do something to (1) feel like a human being again, and (2) prepare myself for the rigors of childbirth. *shudder*
So, what kind of physical activities sound appealing to me right now? Let's see...
Thought about doing pregnancy yoga, but this one day, while driving around the hood, I saw this new and shiny belly dance boutique that just had this friendly, inviting vibe about it...
Hmm, now that's something interesting... all those jingly coins and mesmerizing hip-shaking (a la Shakira). And belly is one prominent anatomical feature I sure sport these days. I remember hearing something about belly dancing being a good form of exercise during pregnancy- in fact, apparently it was used as a way to prepare women for childbirth to build flexibility and strength in the hips and abdominals. *shudder, again*
So, I went online, did some research, and read some more about this new belly dance studio. Here's their website:
Make sure you check out that video! Don't you wish you could shake your hips like that? Dang. I've always been conscious about my mid-section (which is completely disproportionately large, even before I got pregnant), but now that I'm pregnant, I feel like I have a standard excuse for my overgrown belly and can indulge myself in a bit of shameless belly-baring hip-shaking.
And can you take your eyes away from those jingly coins? I can't. For that reason (and maybe some other health related ones), I signed up for the one-day workshop at the end of the month to see if there's some belly dancing in my future.
If you've tried belly dancing, love to hear what you think about it! Will keep you posted once I've taken that workshop. Wish me luck (and hope I don't sprain my hip ligaments!)
