“I want that body!” I said to the husband. We were watching the Olympic Swim Trials. Broad shoulders, muscles, I love it! It’s that time of year when people are stripping down, displaying their body-beautiful to the world, heading to the ocean or a neighbor’s pool. Lifetimes ago, I was in the school swimming team — breaststroke was my main bag — and then also the Relay team. It was always unnerving, standing on the side of the pool and waiting for the starting pistol that made me jump in any case, often causing a false start. Ah, the days.
Nowadays I’m on my own Olympic circuit of sorts — ahem. When I am not on the sofa as an armchair quarterback, so to speak, coaching on my fave swimmers in their effort to make our team in Paris, I can be seen in a water aerobics class anywhere from Soledad to King City.
Folks, this is not Los Angeles. These are just small farm towns, and we can easily cruise from one to another for an aerobic session that will much improve our swim-bodies, plus our general health. I’ve even heard of people traveling to the pool in Salinas. I know, that is really far! Ordinarily, my go-to class is the 7:10 a.m. slot at the Soledad pool that boasts so many people in the summertime, we nearly need a larger pool! (Not quite so many in January when the pool reopens after the holidays!) I love that class! It’s so energizing to complete your one-hour exercise regime by 8 a.m., and my Apple Watch is always so commendatory of my achievements.
I had been wanting to travel ALL THE WAY to King City for some time to try out their outdoor aerobic session at 12 noon. I am not proud of the fact I have never been to the King City pool, but that changed this past week. What a fantastic and very different experience that lunchtime class is. The instructor is on the side of the pool, rocking out to very loud music to make you and keep you moving! It was a warm breezy Friday when I finally joined my friend Sherrie in the pool. (Halo shineth — I had already been to the 7:10 a.m. class in Soledad!) I had been badgering her to get off her bioski, stop complaining about how dumpy she felt and try some water aerobics. And then she started going to class!
I felt so proud of her — and me badgering her — that she finally tried it, and it seemed as if she was already hooked! Never mind her sunburn proof of the fact she had been going to an outdoor class in high summer, she told me her back was already feeling better and how had it taken her so long to do something like this. “I haven’t exercised since I don’t know when,” she confessed. But when you do start, you feel pretty marvelous, I’ve noticed. And now, personally speaking, I’ve even got my own gear like a proper Olympian! (OK, it’s only a long blue noodle and a pair of water weights, but yeah, look at me!)
I’m a great advocate for water aerobics for the — ahem — seniors in the world. Water is so forgiving for all our aches and pains. There are seniors who go to the pool that need canes or walkers to get around when they are not in the pool. Guess what, they don’t need those aides in the water and that must give them an immense feeling of freedom. For those of us who have dodgy knees, hips, backs or whatever, it is bliss to be in a place where, miraculously, your owies do not hurt! I shall reside in the water forever, my gym of choice, my happy place.
I may never have Katie Ledecky’s body, and I certainly won’t ever have her stamina or speed, but I’m happy bumbling along at my own pace and doing what I can do to keep as healthy and mobile as possible. I will make the “journey” to King City whenever I can to rock out in their pool in the sunshine and try something new. I’ll always be faithful to my Soledad aerobics class and the fun I have there, though sometimes it does feel like the crack of dawn — it is — and I nearly don’t make it or I’m super tardy. Once you truly appreciate how important your health is, sometimes it feels as if it might be too late for you to fix the habits of a lifetime, but I’m here to tell you no. It’s never too late to wake up and get up for yourself. You will give yourself quite the pat on the back for getting and showing up. Just as they do at the end of an early aerobics session.
I’m so glad Sherrie has started going to aerobics class and I shall be checking in on her attendance like I’m the boss of her! (Will she make the class all the way in Soledad at 7:10 a.m. — that remains to be seen! Newsflash — yes, she did!) Now, if I could get Rita to join in when she’s not making pies, that would be an accomplishment. A year away from her liver transplant and she’s firing on all cylinders again. Now there’s a person who knows a lot about the importance of your health.
We don’t really have any room for you in our Soledad class, unless you’re a fan of deep-water aerobics, but there is the Tuesday-Thursday evening classes at 7:30 p.m. as well, and they likely have a lot more room. (Just kidding — if you show up, we’ll make room!)
I like to think I have come a long way since I committed to my early aerobics class in January of this year. Though it has only been six months, I miss my class if I don’t go, and I also miss how I feel. When I was in Europe, I was afraid my intrinsic laziness would keep me from returning once I had broken the habit, but on the contrary, I was anxious to get back to the pool and so happy when I did. I think the key with exercise — like I’m some kind of Olympian, haha — is that it has to be fun and easy to participate in, even if you are not especially fit or athletic. We can all go at our own pace in the water — the great equalizer! We can imagine, in our minds, that we are aiming for the Ledecky body, but we’ll end up just settling for a better us.
