Frequently I regale you with tales of my attempts toward some semblance of physical fitness, which often takes the form of deep-water aerobics at the YMCA. I love water anything, I love the Y, and I go as often as I can after dropping Jenna off at school at 7:30, which gets me back home to greet the work day with a gallon of coffee and 4 ibuprofen.
Just as God intended.
I've also written before about how fun it is to see my lady friends in class, many of whom have a few years (or decades) on me.
But they could kick your ass. Don't cross them.
These ladies are my heroes. They don't care that they're not Beyonce or Brittney; they're there to be healthy. They don't care that they sag here or bag there; they come back and back and back because it's the right thing to do. They are so much more beautiful for their energy, generosity, and amazing stories at 8 in the morning when I can't imagine wanting to listen to anyone, but find myself glued to their conversations.
These are not dainty frail women. They work their asses off literally, on the elliptical and in the water, on the treadmill and on the track. I am a mouth hanging open wondering how to get what they have at 64 and 74 that I ain't got at 44.
So I go, and I absorb them into my skin with the chlorine and sore muscles. I hope what they have is contagious.
When classes are over, a few of us head to the whirlpool, where there's often a few people already de-stressing. Because I'm there around the same time, I've gotten to know the whirlpool folks too.
One older man is usually soaking away by the time we finish our class. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen him actually work out, but he sure does seem to spend a lot of time soaking his sore muscles.
Tuesday I was talking with one of the ladies from my class while we soaked away in the hot water, and that gentleman joined us. He was telling us about his trip to the doctor the previous week. Apparently he had a couple of things out of whack, including his blood pressure, which was high enough for the doctor to put him on medication.
In fact he said his blood pressure spiked high enough that the doctor was pretty concerned.
My friend asked him, "What made it go so high?"
Without missing a beat, he said, "AOL."
I nearly drowned myself giggling.
Tags: YMCA, health, aging, internet, ISPs, AOL = Powered by Qumana
