Oh, the varied activities of the retired. Choices are everywhere. Even at the brand new Senior Center, which has been brimming with excitement. It was there I found myself two days ago. A friend needed a ride into the biggest little city just west of me. She asked that we could leave after her exercise class.
Now, here’s the deal.
Exercise is not for everyone. That’s an uncomfortable fact. Haven’t we all heard of the pencil thin jock who loves his 10 mile long morning jog, until one day, he drops dead in the middle of it? At the present time, my knees are good. Hips bones, work well. Connective tissue doesn’t complain. Spine remains flexible and working fine. I’d like to keep all the parts working as they are at the present time. Structured exercise isn’t in my plan at the moment.
I get plenty of exercise in the workout place otherwise known as Winterpast. There is stretching to reach high places with my dust cloth. Endurance when vacuuming. Endless miles of sprinkler line to repair. Squats while lifting heavy pots. Lunges chasing Oliver. Weight lifting when I move the furniture from here to there. Balance when doing things on the ladder. Truly. For an old gal, I get a lot done in a day. All followed by plenty of soaking in the hot tub. A real gym and spa around here.
People are quick to point out that the I just things listed aren’t cardio fitness. I would ask them to lug bags of mulch from the truck to the back yard for me. We’ll find out who is winded first. We can do this at 4400′ elevation for a little added fun.
When I arrived to the Senior Center, I found my friend, Willow, my friend, LEADING the class. A detail she forgot to mention. She is gorgeous and thin. Pencil thin. Model thin and tall. The perfect woman to lead the class. I decided to give it a try. Luckily, I do own favorite leggings. I resisted leggings for a long time, and then made the fatal error of buying a pair. They are from the heavens. Along with the leggings, I wore a turtleneck for warmth, layered with my new t-shirt that has a big butterfly on the front along with the word FEARLESS. On top of that, a cashmere sweater, because cashmere is perfect for everything. I was ready.
Remember, this is a Senior Center. My friend is more senior than I am. By ten + years, mind you. The other women in the class were all more senior than she. There were chairs on which to sit on and balance while standing. No high impact, these were all stretching and balance exercises. No problem, right?
Those.
Exercises.
Kicked.
My.
Saggy.
Butt.
One hour is way to long to focus on exercises. No text breaks. No coffee break. No time to check the latest news. Nothing. Straight exercising for one hour. After 30 minutes of hell, I hobbled over to the art room to see what was going on there.
Hallelujah.
There were three of the coolest women in the place. Pinkie, Raspberry Beret, and Free Spirit. They sat while working on an acrylic painting projects. Pinkie had escaped the torture of the exercise class by following my lead. The three of them were full of questions. I found my people! I left there with a list of necessary art supplies. Rather than gym shoes, I’ll be hitting the Art Section of Walmart to stock up.
After class, Willow was excited to see if I’d be attending the next class to be held today.
Today????? I’m still recovering from Tuesday.
Next Tuesday, I plan to be ready.
Paints? Check
Palette? Check
Art Paper? Check
Exercise attire?????
FERGETABOUTIT.
More tomorrow.