Weekend Challenge

“A Beneficial Hobby” 

Sure, exercise can be a wonderful way to keep your body in shape and healthy, however, these are nothing compared to the benefits it has on your mental health. The gym has been a sanctuary to me over the years. It has been a place where I can go to just be by myself and decompress. My gym offers classes however I had never gone to one until this week.  

Warrior Sculpt started at 10:00 am on Thursday morning. I waited anxiously outside the door with my yoga mat strung across my shoulder and my water bottle in my hand. As I waited, I thought of all the tasks I had to do for that day and felt overwhelmingly behind. As soon as the last class got out, I rushed inside eager to find my spot and get my equipment. As soon as I walked in, a hot rush of air brushed up against my skin. I read that the class was heated. I did not know that it was heated to almost one hundred degrees. I found my spot and rolled out my mat on the hard wooden floor. While I was waiting in line to grab weights, I noticed most of the class was older than me. I instantly felt out of place. What is a seventeen-year-old doing in a class full of middle-aged women?  

When I returned to my mat, I set my weights down on opposite sides of my mat so they would be easy to grab. I played with my towel folding and refolding it as I waited for the class to start. Once the instructor arrived, she immediately came over to me and introduced herself. Her  

name was Hannah, she was short with blonde hair, and was full of energy. After her welcoming introduction I felt a little less apprehensive. Finally, it was the time I had been waiting for all morning, it was officially 10:00 am. As the lights dimmed and the music started, I mentally prepared myself for the workout ahead.  

We started the class with a mediation. Laying down on the mat my body felt very heavy. I drew in my first breath, my body filled up with air and when I breathed out all my tension and anxiety released. With each breath, I felt like a weight was being lifted off my shoulders. The class itself was a struggle, I felt like I was working out in a sauna. There were multiple times where I had to use my towel to wipe off my mat, so I did not slip on my sweat. Every time we got a break, I thirstily drank out of my water bottle. The cool water felt refreshing and energizing. Even though I was using five-pound weights it felt like they were twenty pounds. The class consisted of many repetitive movements, and incorporated basic yoga moves with strength. I felt as if my body had gone on autopilot, completing one move after the next. At the end of the class, we had a three-minute cardio push. Those three minutes were so hard. I was struggling to catch my breath, and with every breath stifling air filled my lungs. Finally, the class had ended. Hannah led us through a cool down and it was time to put our equipment back.  

As I was packing up, I was not thinking about all the things I had to do that day. I was thinking of how proud I was of myself. It was my first time trying the class and even though I was apprehensive I stuck it out. I was proud of the discipline and motivation I exerted by not giving up during the workout. There were many times I wanted to quit or cheat the exercises so that they would be easier, however, I did not. Working out has taught that I can do hard things not only at the gym but also in life. For years working out has been my escape to clear my mind  

and take a break from reality, and I am thrilled to have found a new way to do that. I signed up to go again next week, and even though I am super sore, I am excited to do it all again.  

Blog Deep Dive (Discussion Board 3)

Essay #1

She is sitting at her desk, foot tapping and chair spinning trying to focus on the material in front of her. She tries to concentrate but her brain wanders with thoughts of how she could spend her time better. Her eyes scan the page trying to absorb as much as she can. She looks for bolded sentences in hopes that they might be the hints to what is on the exam. She stands up pushes her desk chair in and moves to her bed. She grabs a soft blanket and a few pillows to make herself comfy as she continues to read. Soon she nears the end of the third chapter only to realize she hasn't comprehended much at all. 

I think I could improve my approach to reading assignments by breaking the assignment up into smaller chunks. I think when read I try to read fast because reading is not my favorite thing. I think I would have a lot more success if I read only a few pages or paragraphs at a time and then went back and reviewed them before moving on. 

Benjamin realizes that it is important to read as a writer, because it allows you to take inspiration from others and improve your own writing. Benjamin shared his struggle to retain the information when he was speed reading and rushing though books. Benjamins mindset shift towards reading allowed him to find his true passion and enjoy reading. He shares numerous example of times he meticulously read a book picking through every detail big or small. Benjamin encourages fellow readers to slow down their process, in order to get the most out of their reading. When I first thought of a slow reader I wasn't imagining Benjamin's reading process. I think his process may be a bit extreme. I do agree with him that it is important to slow down your reading. I probably wouldn't slow down in books I read for fun, however I do see the value in slowing down when reading for academic purposes. In academic writing it easy to be vague, and I think reading as a writer will be very important for this class, specifically when it comes to picking out details and interpreting the texts in a way that is unique to me rather than just writing what I think the teacher wants to read. 

Essay #2

She sits alone at her desk typing on her keyboard. She outlines her main ideas for her intro, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Once that is done she begins to fill in the outline with the information she needs to complete the essay. Once she has written and changed everything about three different times, she checks the grammar. She copies and pastes the essay into Grammarly and makes any final changes. Then she shares it with her friends hoping that they can give her good feedback. After she is done editing and has read through it a final time, she submits it. 

To improve my writing process I think I could put a lot more time into my research and forming my ideas before I start writing. I usually jump right into writing the essay right away, and don't take time to make sure my ideas flow well. I also am a huge procrastinator when it comes to essays, because writing is definitely not best skill. So I think starting my essays early and planning my ideas before writing will help me become a stronger writer. 

The two ideas from the short essay that I think are the most important are tip number three, and tip number seven. Tip number three tells you to ask yourself what surprises you about the topic as you research. I think this will be really important for me personally because I often fall under the trap of writing for the teacher rather than for myself. I think that following this tip will not only help me enjoy writing more but help me become more passionate about what I write, leading me to write a better essay. Tip number seven says that the best essays answer the "How?".  A lot of times I get stuck while writing and find it hard to find things to write about, especially when it's a topic I don't enjoy. I think that following this tip will help me to continue to find different things to write about, and will help me think of different angles or perspectives to add into my writing.