A Tight Skirt

This year I have lost 30 pounds and my plan is to continue in that direction. As part of this initiative, I am also working out more than before and more rigorously. Thing is, that means trying methods that are new to me, like Nia, Zumba, Water Aerobics and so on, with the idea of trying a variety of methods until I find one that I want to continue with.

Earlier in my life, I played a lot of basketball, racquetball, tennis and bicycling until tennis elbow and my knees told me that they didn't want to keep doing that.

I have been walking, swimming and dancing regularly, but decided that more intensity and determination were needed if I wanted to get down to the weight my doctor recommends.

Funny thing is that I notice that in these various classes that I am trying, I seem to be the only male. One of the women remarked to me that "it takes a bold man to come to these classes." Not that I mind being in a class that is mostly women. My life has been mostly women between my sisters, my clients, and so on.

And that jogged a memory of when I had a roommate years ago, a recently divorced architect who did aerobics classes regularly to keep fit. My women friends kept asking me if he was gay. "What makes you think so?" I asked. "An architect who does aerobics?" they responded, "How many straight guys do you know who fit that description?" I just smiled at their assumptions, because I knew that he wasn't, but it was funny to hear their take on things.

So here I am in water aerobics tonight, once again the only guy, and the instructor is describing to us how to do a certain exercise "Move like you are wearing a tight skirt" she said.

I had to pause for a minute to try and picture that. I mean I am certainly familiar with tight skirts, but I am never the one wearing them.

Just had another flashback, thinking about my experience in Zumba. On the old TV series, "Taxi" the character Jim came in all frazzled one night, well, more frazzled than usual. He laid down on the wooden bench and one of the other characters asked him what happened, and asked if he was alright. With this befuddled, exhausted look on his face, Jim replies "Jazzercise! I never want to hear that word again!"

Funny, the things some of us do to get healthier. And, yes, water aerobics seemed to suit me fine and will be one of the things I will continue with, and I think Nia is something I will return to as well.

OK, so sometimes the price of progress is pretty strange. But I feel good about it. After all, I am not known to shy away from things just because they are strange, different, or unusual. After all, the strange, different and unusual make life interesting.