Sweating with the Oldies (Literally!)

This is the post that I should have written for week six--I'm just three weeks late. Hey, don't judge. I'm getting caught up! :)
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Sweating with the oldies (literally).

Okay, I am not the youngest person in the bariatric class. I am not the oldest. I fall somewhere almost smack dab in the middle of the age bracket.

Before now (okay, like 4 years ago), I used to work out ALL.THE.TIME. I walked 2+ miles a day TO the gym and back.  Yes, I WALKED to the gym and back, where I would do cardio classes or weight training, or both, for one or two hours a night. Now I’m big and lazy—but I like to think I still have it.

During week six, we had a visit from a trainer. He basically came in and did an aerobics class. I forgot to wear workout clothes, but I did have on tennis shoes.  Thank. God.

Personally, I think that the training was a good idea, but I think it was FAR TOO ADVANCED for the majority of the class.  Please keep in mind that about 50% of the class is older, most walk with canes or ride scooters, and take up an entire bench for themselves.  They can barely walk, must less get up and dance. This session was like the sessions that I used to take at the gym—full of grapevines, lunges, and all sorts of other aerobic moves that I’m blanking on now. I was DYING, but I think I did pretty good to keep up like I did. However, most of them sat on their benches and clapped and moved their sarms since that was the most they could do.

I remember when I was a kid, watching Richard Simmons on TV, and there was one of his success stories—about a woman who couldn’t walk or get off the couch—and he helped her—and in the beginning, all she could do was clap. And Richard Simmons had her clap her exercise.  Because clapping was all she could do—and clapping was better than no exercise at all.

I’ve been reading a blog by a woman who has a goal of losing 300lbs. It’s called www.300poundsdown.com.  I started at the beginning, and I read every single post that she’s written since she started her journey. And she talks about how, in the beginning after her gastric sleeve surgery, she could only walk for 30 seconds.  30. Seconds.  And how every day, she increased it just a little. It’s a miraculous journey that she’s on—and she’s not done yet! I can walk for far longer than 30 seconds.  5 years ago, I did a 10k (walking it), but I did it! And I finished it—and I wasn’t the last one to finish either. I walked 6.2 miles in exactly 2 hours. Could I do that right now? Probably not in two hours—but I’m sure I could walk 6.2 miles.

The point is, it doesn’t matter how out of shape you are, or how much you weigh. The point is that you are making a choice to change your life. And that choice to change your life starts with the choices you make now.  So start with baby steps—walking 30 seconds if that’s all you can. Even if you can only clap your hands—it’s something. And something is always better than nothing!

I still have week 7 (importance of sleep) to write about, week 8 was canceled due to the hurricane, and then I’ll write about week 9 (behavior modification).  Week 8 will be made up in December. Stay tuned for more awesomeness. I have a really great insite from class last night that I want to share. Look for that in the week 9 post!