Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Rippit into shape!


I went to the gym today to work on my bikini body – next year’s bikini body, that is, or maybe even the year after next. I think I’ve missed the deadline for this summer. In fact, my exercise and eating chart reads a lot like Bridgett Jones’ diary.

“I haven’t seen you in here lately. Where have you been?” a friend of mine said.

“Oh, I’ve been doing a lot of stuff outside,” I said, neglecting to mention that by “stuff,” I meant sitting on the beach, riding the boat at the lake, and walking to the mailbox on occasion.

Things have changed in the gym, I noticed. For example, apparently, everyone is into jumping. No, I don’t mean jumping rope like I read the Victoria Secret models do to prepare for a photo shoot. (A guy friend of mine told me that jumping rope was not their secret, by the way). I mean, jumping four or five feet in the air and landing on the ground in a squatting position – think bull frog.

Now, I used to belong to a gym in which the median age was 65. I was by far the youngest, though I wouldn’t dare say the strongest or toughest. Old age isn’t for sissies, and it was very inspiring seeing men and women working out despite obvious physical obstacles. But, I have to tell you, nobody in there jumped.

At the new gym I frequent, or should I say visit, it is definitely a young crowd, and today was proof of it. Men and women hoping all over the place. Why? While I’m sure it’s the new craze, the real reason is probably because they can. As I glanced up from the machine I was on, I caught the eye of an older lady across from me. We both broke into a grin.

I thought about the senior citizens at my former gym. They all knew what this lady and I were secretly thinking. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should, at least not in public, anyway.