The Rewards of Exercise

Rachel seems to be continually writing about food, therefore you'll understand the need for our current exercise regime. First off, NO weekends- that is important to state right away so those who know me don't think I've completely gone over the edge. But believe it or not, we have gone Monday through Friday except for the 5 days we were on vacation from our vacation. Mon, Wed, Fri are for "acqua" aerobics and Tues and Thurs are for the weight machines. Yesterday I decided to really go wild and do a non-acqua class called Evergreen. No it's not named Evergreen for Washington State and it's not named Evergreen in honor of Rachel's last 16 years of employment at Evergreen Treatment Services. Give up? It is so named because it is for all ages- young and old (although I was toward the old and maybe the youngest was 30). When I asked Christian, the instructor, that's what he more or less said- with something about all the seasons thrown in there, too. I'm still somewhat puzzled but oh well. It was kind of a low impact aerobics class with a lot of emphasis on the arms for the first 2o minutes. I was afraid I might slap myself with my own arm jiggle but on the other hand, after 4 years of frozen shoulders I was so pleased I could even keep up. Rachel had declined to join me in this class so I had to get semi-hysterical all by myself.

We are often the only ones laughing out loud in our acqua aerobics class... either from floating into others or waiting for one of our classmates- an older woman in a 2 piece- when her breast finally pops out of her suit (we have come to expect this about halfway through class and she is often oblivious...). So there we are groaning and giggling and the Italian women are so, well, serious and understated. Last Monday there was something wrong with the chlorine levels in the pool and we were all practically suffocating from the fumes. Now at home, neither of us would be too intimidated to tell the instructor or to go open the door for fresh air but here in Italy we were too shy. Yet it wasn't until the last 15 minutes that one of the Italian women spoke up. So there we were breathing toxic fumes because we can't speak Italian but what was their excuse?

But I digress... back to "Evergreen" and making a fool out of myself. I have only done a "step" class once or twice in my life and the memories flooded back when Christian brought out the steps. There I was back in Vienna in the 80's with my friend Jean taking a step class but that time, of course, in German. I thought we were going to die laughing at our ineptitude (or maybe it was just my ineptitude-misery does like company), just imagining what we looked like and I swore, never again. But here I was 20 pounds heavier and even less coordinated 2o years later, trying to follow the person in front of me and so grateful there was no one behind me. Then I turned around and who should be watching me through the large window, safely perched on the "shoulder" machine? None other than my sensitive, caring life partner and what was she doing? Why I believe she was laughing- and not "with" me... Such support! And what the hell does "step" have to do with "Evergreen" anyway- maybe I can sue for misrepresentation. Or maybe someday I'll try to take "step" at home with an English speaking instructor... yeah, that must be the problem....sure, Kim.

PS Who could resist a gym that serves incredible desserts and spiked wine in the lobby for Halloween? Following our time in the gym or aerobics we all were urged to partake. The funniest thing we saw, though, was one of the personal trainers wolfing down his cake while he was "training" someone in the gym. There's just something SO SANE about Italy, I can't tell you how much I love it here.