“Even when all is
known, the cure of a man is not
yet complete...he must
also take exercise…”
- Hippocrates: Regimen
Molly had been asking me with the regularity of the rising
sun to come to her exercise classes. My
consistent, “Thanks hon, probably not this time,” responses did NOT deter her
from continuing to ‘…drip water on the roughened stone of my mind…’
Other than group yoga, which we did for two or three years
in Detroit, I have avoided group exercise programs – I just don’t like
‘em. I bike and lift weights pretty
regularly and swim a little less frequently than in the past, so I’m thinking in
the delicacy of my late 60s, I’m doing plenty!
PLUS…there are all those people!!!
This last year, however, I joined the YMCA Board of
Managers. Tony, our new executive
director, has brought an infectious enthusiasm to an already pretty successful
center.
I thought,
You know, if I am on
this board, I should probably sample the classes and get a feel for the
products we deliver.
After all, I’m in pretty good shape for a ‘non-competitive’
guy my age.
“Molly,” I said. “Since
I’m on the board, I’m thinking about taking a few group exercise classes. Where
do you think I should begin?”
Hardly suppressing her enthusiasm at my proactive request, she
suggested I try the ‘Silver Sneakers Cardio’ and the ‘50+ Boot camp’ classes –
it just so happens she is in both of them!
Sure, I thought, I can do that AND kill two birds with one
stone…see what the classes are like and satisfy Molly’s long standing
appetite to get me into group exercise sessions. You know what they say, “Gratification
delayed can be so much sweeter,” and at this “…finally he’s doing it…” request
to her, she was feeling pretty sweet!!
Silver Sneakers…
When the studio doors opened, 30 hardy, and well past middle
aged souls trickled into the room. They knew the drill – pick up the hand
weights, rubber bands with handles and small 6 inch in diameter balls. My ‘guide’ – that would be Molly – shuttled
me through the ‘getting ready process’ and we were ready to go.
I looked around, checking out the competition, thinking to
myself,
Everyone in here, with
few exceptions, is my age or older. I
can do this!
The leader ‘Natalie’ wandered to the front of the
class. In my most enlightened,
anti-misogynist frame of mind, I saw a ‘soft around the edges’ woman in her
late forties to early fifties with a “I have had my kids, and this time is for
me” look.
She paused for a moment, then as the energetic music started,
she began exhorting the group, and for the next 50 minutes, with two or three
short water breaks, it was ‘Katy bar the door’ non-stop activity.
When we were finished…I was DONE!! More than that, I was done and humbled at the
fitness levels of these tired looking old people! Worse, Molly looked like she was just getting
going.
Damn! I thought. Tomorrow has got to be a better day!
50s+ Boot camp…
We arrived at the door to this studio a little before 7am
where there were four or so older women quietly chatting.
I noted that Shelley was there. Molly had introduced me to her before…a 59
year-old woman with a big boned body. I
had seen her lifting in the weight room, and after watching her work out, there
is little doubt I would want her on my team – no matter what the game might be!
Blanca (our leader) arrived a little before the appointed
time to open the doors and get things ready.
While the Silver Sneakers class is apparently the same every day, it is
not so for the Boot camp. Here, the
small groups of folk, gather around a white dry erase board to find out what
the day will bring.
We single filed through the equipment room picking up hand
weights and a Bosu ball – a large ball cut in half with a hard plastic bottom
and an inflated soft-topped half ball.
It is used for balancing and core exercise activities.
Blanca, an animated deceptively fit woman in her fifties, headed
to the front of the room, and like the day before, “…She paused for a moment as
the energetic music began and for the next 50 minutes, with two or three short
water breaks, it was ‘Katy bar the door’ non-stop activity...”
For comparative purposes, Natalie was like a Protestant
minister in most mainstream churches, whereas Bianca was the Evangelical,
Pentecostal exhorter of the less than lively sheep under her early morning
ministery.
Natalie had command of her class, Blanca ‘owned’ hers.
As she wandered around the studio she encouraged and exhorted
those aging bodies.
“Come on, keep those heads up when you are doing
pushups!”
“Hey, are you looking for buried treasure on the floor? If
you find it let me know!”
“Woo!!”
“That’s it keep going.”
“How does it feel?”
“If it is too much, modify your activity!”
She knew everyone’s name and seemed to have a connection
with every person in the room.
When it was over, I thought…
Damn!! Today was NOT
better!
Worse…Molly, as the day before, seemed refreshed when we
were done.
I will continue to take these classes and some others the Y
offers, as part of trying to gain a better understanding what we do and how we
do it. There is little doubt I will get
into better shape than I am already in…or that I am NOT in…
The only problem I foresee is that Molly might find
something else she thinks will benefit the quality of my life…
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