My dear Y, I missed you at least as much as you missed me.
The last year gave me an outstanding perspective on what mattered in my life. Good health was right up at the top and people I cared about was close in line. Firstly, I wanted to stay well and see my friends and family. But of all the activities that had been part of my pre-Pandemic life the two that kept rising to the top of things that I missed were going to synagogue services and going to the gym.
I went to services virtually every week and continued to study with my long-time study group monthly. It wasn't the same as being in the sanctuary and joining friends for lunch, but it kept my spiritual connection strong. The gym was a whole different matter. I walked daily and did stretching and strength training videos -- sometimes -- but I missed the weight machines I'd come to enjoy and I missed the pool. There was no way to virtually simulate swimming and water aerobics.
Last week I decided to stop at the Y and see how crowded it was. It wasn't crowded and a few very well socially distanced classes had been added. I reinstated my long suspended membership and on Wednesday I returned after thirteen months away. I took my first class of 2021, a combination of cardio and strength training for "active older adults." There were seven of us, plus the instructor, in the basketball gym. I kept up with the strength training, but the cardio, pardon the expression, kicked my butt.
(Empty) locker room selfie is perfect for "G" is for Gym
Semi-selfie in an equally empty weight machine room
I just signed up for the same class I took last week for this Wednesday. Signing up, and not just showing up, is a new behavior, but one I can learn to become accustomed to. I'm not quite ready to return to the pool and be unmasked, but I'm hoping that as things improve that will be a reality, too. For now, I'm very grateful for a good workout and a return to "my machines." As a kid who loathed gym in elementary school, I never thought I'd write, but happily, this old pup learned some new tricks.
As ever, thanks for visiting and wishes for a great Monday.
9 comments
I am thankful you could return to the gym after such a long absence! Hopefully it won’t be long until you return to water aerobics.
Terrific that you could get back to the gym. Ours still is closed. But, I don't think I'm ready to go back into a space with a lot of people yet. I have had the vaccination, but I'm still a big fraidy cat. LOL But your empty room photos make it seem very desirable, indeed!
I haven't been in a gym since I was in high school. Until I got older I never even thought about it. I was so busy I didn't have time. But I do think we all need to keep up with some sort of exercise to keep healthy. I used to walk more than anything, but now I'm liking riding my bike better. We have to keep moving or we lose what we have. Good for you returning to your gym.
Congrats to you for returning to the gym. That's quite a nice selfie of you. Enjoy your day, hugs, Edna B.
So happy to hear you are back doing what makes you happy at the gym. It was a long time coming for sure. But definitely worth the wait. PS) I absolutely, positively love your jacket. Love the color too. You rock the look .
Glad you could get back to the gym and I love the water aerobics if you have that available.
How awesome that you have been able to return to your gym! When I was a stay at home mom, I took a lot of water aerobics classes and loved those classes. At the time, I was the youngest person in the class . . .now I would be the same age as most of them. I missed going to our neighborhood pool last summer. I think it will be open this year.
Thank you, my Lord Jesus Christ, for one more day having the grace to be able to hear you, in this siege of Jericho.
Glad you have been able to return to one of your favorite activities. The gym in our apt buildings has been reopened for several months with precautions, of course. However, most times I am the only person there and feel relatively safe going maskless since myself knows I've been vaccinated :-)
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