Aqua Aerobics

I've had a ton of fun this week. I am realizing that I haven't had this much fun in years! I joined the Gym. I'm 59, out of shape and sadly in need of some exercise. But alas....arthritis in the knees make it very hard to exercise. A couple of years back my doctor put me on the South Beach Diet and I've got it pretty much down. I know what and how much to eat and Dr. Wieland did a happy dance when he saw that my high blood pressure came 'way down to a very good level and my cholesterol zoomed from very high to low-middle range of good. But the exercise thing was tough. No weight-bearing exercise. No walking, running, bike riding, etc. I started out a few days with Liz and a friend going to the gym by our house 8-9 pm and riding a recumbent bike....wow! I could do it without pain. For an hour! Liz spends her hour on the elliptical trainer and I thought, "If I can do the recumbent bike so easily, maybe I could do the elliptical trainer for, say, 5 minutes to exercise more." I lasted about 30 seconds and my left knee said, "No, NO, NO!"

My friend Geri has sung the praises of her aqua aerobics class for more than a year and I realized that although I can't go on Mondays & Tuesdays I COULD go Wed-Fri. every week. So Wednesday I put on my bathing suit (oh, it's not a pretty sight!) and a cover-up, grabbed a towel and my flip flops and tootled on down to the gym. Oh, my! so much fun! As I said before, I haven't had so much fun for years. I bobbed up and down and twisted and turned and kicked and stretched over and over and over again. It was lots of fun. We used weights, we used noodles, I got water up my nose a couple of times. But it was fun! So I went back on Thursday and again this morning. Turns out I know a lot of the people who take water classes there. And found an old friend from long ago. There's a 92 year old man who comes every day. He'll probably still be there when I'm 92!

Here's a picture of Thursday's class. It was smaller than Wed. and Fri. ( where about 30 people come). I can feel the muscles. And you know what? My knee doesn't complain at all. So I'll do the recumbent bike three nights a week and swim three mornings a week. Sounds pretty doable.

In the past I've gone to Jazercize and exercise classes and while it wasn't UNpleasant to work out, it couldn't come close to the fun I've had in the water. Can you tell I'm excited? And who knows, maybe someday that bathing suit might look OK on me!