happy new year!

i have to apologize to my dear readers who keep checking back in with me when i start to get rolling with the old blog, only to disappear into cyberspace again a week or two later. one new years resolution is to try to be a bit more consistent with my posts, one of just a few things in my life that needs more consistency :). the past few weeks have been a bit nutty...i made it through the holidays, but barely. i managed to pull a muscle in my lower back doing dumbbell RDL's on december 22nd. i haven't ever sustained a low back injury before and i now have a whole new sense of empathy and respect for people who have. needless to say i spent my christmas immobile on the couch in a percaset-induced haze. not very pleasant, but i made it through and have recently returned to the gym with renewed vigor. that is one (if not the only) thing that i actually do like about injuries is that they renew my sense of gratitude for my body and my health. also, in this case, as i managed to injure my back on one of the exercises that is infamous for lower back injuries, it has also sparked a renewed interest in improving my form while lifting. i feel like i generally have relatively good form, and i'm pretty aware of keeping my abs engaged, spine straight, etc but i do tend to work on the heavier side of what i can lift, and since the injury i've dropped down in weight and have been a total stickler on my form. an interesting experiment for most of us i think as we all have a tendency to get sloppy after we've been at it a while. it's amazing how much concentrating on such little things as keep shoulder blades retracted or chest lifted can seriously increase the difficulty of an exercise. if you haven't been so serious about your form lately, maybe it's time to scrutinize. so, i have so many thoughts and goals and aspirations for the new year that i hope to get around to posting soon. i am really excited about starting anew again (yes, i know, it's all in my head) and all the opportunity that lies ahead. onwards and upwards...