Let's not get carried away here. You are not going to see pictures of me actually working out. But, I am going to tell you about it.
First you have to understand something about me. (I'm sure there are one or two of you out there reading this who did not know me as a teenager, right?) I am six feet tall (I used to say 5'11" but it really didn't matter) and although I wasn't always overweight I could never be described as skinny. Nor would you call me agile, co-ordinated or even graceful. (Someone, who shall remain nameless, once tried to compliment me by describing me as having 'awkward grace'.*) And truth be told I was never very good at sports and hated gym class. Once in high school I got a good grade in gym because they gave me 10 points for helping take attendance. Now, there's something I can do!
Just after Pesach in 2007 Amy opened a 'Curves' franchise in Nes Tziyona, the next town over from Rehovot on the way from here to Tel Aviv. I was there the first week it opened. I was feeling that I needed a change in attitude, to do something that I hadn't done before. (It may have had something to do with my being the heaviest I have ever been in my life.) What could be more out of character for me than to go and join a health club to start working out?
So why is this something I can suddenly handle? Curves works like this: there are 12 machines in a circle and between each two machines is a platform called the 'recovery station'. You spend 30 seconds at each station either using the machine in the prescribed way or moving with the music at the recovery station. You do this for about half an hour and then go do a few stretching exercises and it's over. The club is for women only. That fits great for women who don't want to go to a fitness place where men and women work out together because of religious considerations. But what I have found at this club is a place where I feel I am not being judged by my agility or shape. This is a place where real women hang out. You know, like me.
This week I joined an extra-credit aerobics group. One where everyone comes at the same time and does what the leader is telling you to do. This is definitely raising the bar so to speak. Stay tuned, at this rate, I may be ready for the triathlon in about 40 years.
* This "compliment" has to compete with the person who told me 'you look very good in the dark'
7 comments:
Great going. I began working out when I turned 35. 15 years later I am very healthy,though not skinny by any means. Taking care of ourselves is the first rule of having a happy family. Enjoy your aerobics class!
15 years? That's great! Let's see, I just need to hang in there another 13 right?
I seem to remember you as a hoola hoop champion?
KT
Bro
So, it's still Curves for you. Fantastic. My activity level has gone down since my father moved in with us, and that means that my weight has gone up, bad news for me.
Word verification is "bless."
Batya!
I guess there really is no such thing as coincidence!
Haosek b'mitzva patur m'mitzvah. You"ll get back on track with the wieght thing. You have lots of will ower and will get your life back in blalance even with the new situation.
Interesting and honest post--I love it!
I am in a similar position weight-wise, but I do not belong to a gym.
I exercize 5-10 minutes a day doing 15 each minimum of push-ups, crunches, lunges, and a very difficult yoga-type thing where you are on your stomach on the floor, and you lift your arms and legs from the knees off the floor. (Excruciating).
Why 10 minutes (and that's pushing it)? I have a very short attention span!
And you know when I took off the most weight? On my first trip back to Israel in 2005, when I did not rent a car, and walked everywhere (including up and down 39 steps to get to and from my sons' then-apt.!)
But here, I don't walk anywhere...talk me into it, please!
Lady Light,
Consider yourself encouraged!
Walking really is a great way to exercise! But if your attention span is short then you really should have some place to walk TO or someone to walk WITH. Also listening to shiurim on an MP3 player can make the time pass quickly.
We don't have a car and walk a lot but it doesn't seem to help me lose weight.
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