Let’s start with a HUGE congratulations to the Loyalsock Lady Lancer basketball team! Jamie has all the details beginning on page 6, but I can’t let the moment pass without saying — Amazing Job, Ladies!!

Now — about that title…

Spring is upon us, which means it’s time to peel off the winter layers, unearth the sneakers buried under a pile of unmatched socks, and pretend — just for a moment — that we might become “fitness people.”

Nothing says spring like attempting a plank in the backyard while a bunny silently judges your form.

Step 1: Find Your Motivation (or Bribe Yourself)

Getting started is the hardest part. Sometimes, it helps to trick yourself. Tell your brain you’re just going out for a “light walk,” then suddenly you’re halfway around the Riverwalk and sweating through your hoodie like it’s July.

Other motivational tools include:
– Buying cute workout gear from downtown shops you now feel obligated to use.
– Telling people on Facebook you’re “training” (for what? Who knows).
– Place your snacks on a high shelf and call it strength training.

Step 2: The Overambitious First Day

Spring weather is perfect for a jog, so lace up those sneakers and hit the pavement. Plan a modest 5-mile run because how hard could it be? Thirty seconds in, you’re wheezing like a vacuum cleaner on its last legs. A squirrel passes you. A toddler on a tricycle laps you. By minute two, you’re bargaining with the universe: “If I survive this, I’ll never eat a donut again.” Spoiler: You’ll eat three donuts later to celebrate surviving. Collapse on the grass, call it “nature yoga,” and post about your “epic workout” online. You’re a fitness influencer now.

Step 3: The Salad Lie

Everyone knows getting in shape means eating healthy, so commit to a spring salad regimen—head to the Farmers’ Market to buy kale, spinach, and maybe a rouge beet. Spend 20 minutes chopping veggies, only to realize you’ve made enough salad to feed a small village. Take one bite, gag at the taste of “earthy sadness,” and immediately order Park or Bart’s Pizza to reward your effort.

Step 4: The Group Fitness Fiasco

Sign up for a spring boot camp class because misery loves company. Show up late, trip over a kettlebell, and accidentally call the instructor “Drill Sergeant Sexy” to their face. Spend the next hour doing burpees while questioning every life choice that led you here. By the end, you’re sweaty, sore, and pretty sure you left your dignity somewhere between the lunges and the plank that lasted 12 years.

Or hey — just take the dog for a walk, chase your kids around Brandon Park, or spend the day doing “yard work” (aka. Angrily pulling weeds and counting it as cardio).

Step 5: The Inevitable Backslide

By week two, the spring vibes are fading, and so is your resolve. You “forget” to set your alarm for that sunrise run. Your fitness tracker dies, and you don’t bother charging it because “it’s probably tired, too.” One rainy day, you declare it “cheat day,” which turns into “cheat week,” suddenly, you’re back to eating mac and cheese straight from the pot while binge-watching reality TV. Spring shape? More like spring *shipwreck*.

Step 6: The Redemption Arc

When you think all hope is lost, a warm April breeze inspires you to try again. Dust off those sneakers, eat half a salad (progress!) and take a leisurely walk to admire the blooming flowers. Realize that “getting in shape” doesn’t mean running a marathon — it’s about feeling good enough to chase the ice cream truck without pulling a hammy. Laugh at your earlier meltdowns, pat yourself on the back, and enjoy the season. You’re not shredded, but you’re spring-ready, and that’s what counts.

Here’s the truth: nobody’s keeping score. If you’re lacing up your sneakers, stretching in your living room, or parking a little farther from the entrance at Aldi and calling it “intentional movement”—you’re on your way.

So go ahead, get out there, and move however you can this spring.