In the (probably futile) hope of reducing the number of surprises this aging body has been springing on me, I showed up this morning for the Boomer Boot Camp class at our local YMCA.
Four months away and I’m paying the price – deep knee bends are becoming problematic. It doesn’t help that in my absence our instructor appears to upped all repetitions from her usual 12 to 15. In the sit-down-stand-up-while-holding-weights portion I toughed it out through 12, but 15? Uh uh. At least I had other people around to distract
me a little from my misery. Immediately in front of me bounced a slip of a girl
in possibly her late 40s, who added annoying hops and jogs to everything. The
woman next to her – whose hair is thinning and to whom I’d like to offer one of
those disguising scalp sprays – was her polar opposite, with lackluster arm
lifts and barely discernable squats.
I knew I still wasn’t fully in the
moment when at the end we did our usual calming down exercises. Along with
everyone else I slooowly turned my head to the right and then slooowly to the
left as we were told to “release the tension in your body, forget any worries,
feel your body relax.”
Far from “letting it all go”, conscious
of the too-clingy tee shirt I wished I’d left in the closet, I was also sucking
in my gut.
I have been going to guided exercise classes with a physiotherapist trying to retain/restore my balance. There is always one perky young thing to put me to shame. Squats? Not a happening thing. Yet.
ReplyDeleteThere should be mandatory age restrictions - no one under the age of 60 should be allowed in our presence when we're trying to get these bodies of ours to move.
DeleteOh, that's funny! I can see you in your perfect description of the class and its participants. You should write a book. Oh, wait... (I've read them all)
ReplyDeleteYou made me chuckle there, DJan.
DeleteDon't stop. You'll regret that even more.
ReplyDeleteI did slack off this winter and I'm paying for it now.
DeleteBoomer Boot Camp sounds interesting, great title for an exercise class.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how fast strength is lost. I spent much of yesterday squatting in the dirt, today is very painful from the over-stretch. 15 is a lot of reps.
ReplyDeleteI do have to admit that this aging thing is a factor, too.
DeleteKeep at it. It's worth it.
ReplyDeleteYou're so right, Red. I see the result of inaction in some people around me.
DeleteFifteen IS a lot of reps. Even when I was young and lifting weights I only did 10 reps (in three sets).
ReplyDelete