Remember that lady? You know the one. She was the lady you always saw walking at the park. She wore head and wristbands, carried dumbbells, and had those headphones with the antennae and built-in radio. Sometimes, she was even wearing a sauna suit. That lady. The one you chuckled about because she looked so silly.
I've become that lady.
A few weeks ago, my friend Amy recruited me to join her team for Get Fit Lubbock. We earn points per minute of exercise, events attended, percentage of weight lost, etc., and there are prizes awarded at the end. It's been a good way to be motivated, explore new ways to pursue a healthier lifestyle, and spark my selective, yet mild competitive streak. I went to a Tai Chi class the other night that was great fun. It was conducted by this older, little chap who had no waist and reminded me of Jack Lalane. I felt very graceful after that class.
Like the experts say, however, walking is the best exercise and that's what I've been doing most. My brother recommended getting some "handsies", little hand-weights. I got some that reminded me of workout gloves with tumors. I took them out for their maiden stroll a few evenings ago and it occurred to me how ridiculous I looked. And I realized I had become that lady. The thing is, I know that if I stick to eating healthy and walking regularly, the payoff will be worth looking silly at the park. So next time you see a lady walking at the park wearing semi-orthopedic-looking sneakers, enough workout clothes to qualify as a sauna suit because 1) she's so pale and 2) unwilling to subject the general public to her ample physique, workout gloves with tumors, and obviously carrying her iPod in her sports bra 'cause she keeps forgetting to purchase an armstrap . . . I'm that lady.
