I can spell calisthenics

After constantly recommending calisthenics to everyone all the time I thought, Hey! Maybe I should do those! So I've begun again. It's day 3 and my arms look buffer, my backside's a little sore and the shoulder that was bothering me feels much better.

My Mom told me once that my Papa Pat (Grandpa Patterson), who I take after, did calisthenics. I love to picture that.

I started doing calisthenics when I lived in Idaho for 5 months. I was snowed in, living with my mom and sister, without a job, without school, without a hobby. I pretty much never left the house except to pick up giant donuts at Paul's market to eat while 'mels and I played cards.

At night my mom would go to sleep early, because of her work schedule at the hospital, and Amelia would go to bed early because she was pregnant and I would stay up and watch MTV and VH1 channels - the ones that play music videos.

Inspired by the likes of Ciara and feeling like I needed to do SOMETHING I started doing squats, lunges and push-ups. 10 a night at first, building up as I grew stronger. The great thing about those three exercises is that you can do them without a mat or a bar, on an flat ground. Plus they all end up working your stomach muscles so you don't have to do any terrible crunches (which don't work anyway, do they?).

And that is all I did, night after night, it only took a couple minutes and I spent the rest of the time stretching and dancing (quietly) or sitting on the couch. I left Idaho in the best shape of my life - I'm not kidding. Without cutting out giant donuts or anything else (except sugary and alcoholic drinks, but who wants those anyway?) I was down to a 6/8 from a 10, and I felt so strong and un-wobbly.

I stopped doing them when I moved back to Oregon, to Eugene where I initially had to share a room with no doors. I felt less inclined to lunge around in front of all my roommates and quickly got out of the habit.

I am an 8 now, which I like, but I don't feel strong and un-wobbly. And I sure wouldn't mind slipping into the freshly-washeds more easily. Plus I need to do something as I age and babies are hopefully right around the corner. And I refuse to jog or go to a gym or anything else so horrible.

I might add that eating well and a lot of walking also kept me in fine shape - but I'm not willing to do that at this point.

Wish me luck on my new endeavor and try it yourself, it's fantastic.