Working It Out

Truth Thursday

For the past nearly 10 years, I have belonged to Curves*, a women-only work-out facility around the corner from my house. You would think in those 10 years that I would boast many more than the 437 workouts I logged in as of this morning, but there have been many spates of time in that decade where I have gone weeks, and yes, months, without making an appearance.

But I am in a determined place. Rounding the corner to 50, with 1.5 years to go, I am bound by a promise to myself to lose weight and get in shape. I know that this time, unlike when I was younger, it is a much harder crawl to the finish line. The weight tends to be stickier, wanting to adhere itself in a way that makes it more challenging to take off. And the getting in shape piece of the plan is also a larger hurdle – my muscles are no longer as flexible as they once were.

But one of the things I most love about Curves, and the reason I have stuck with it all these years, is that my branch is so welcoming to everyone. Women of all shapes, sizes and colors work out in this small storefront, filled to the brim with hydraulic weight machines and "recovery pads", on which we twist and turn and do the aerobics we need to keep our heart rate and hopes up in between the weight training.

This morning, I worked out with a woman who could have been anywhere between 80 and 95. She had a cane, and she was using it as part of her routine. Instead of keeping pace with the dulcet tones of the every-30-second "please change stations now" voice that wafts over the music, she kept her own slow pace.  And she made it around the entire circuit at least once. I was in awe of her determination, and vowed to still be working out when I am her age. Maybe by then I will have reached the 1,000 workout milestone.

Three days a week, a Zumba class is held at my Curves. I haven't yet tried it. I am usually very wary of gym classes – I have a hard time telling my right from my left, even though I was a dancer when I was young, and I am always afraid that I'll get all dyslexic when trying a routine. But this Zumba class looks like such fun, it may be calling my name. Last week, when I was rounding the circuit in the main room, the back room held about 10 women, of every shape and size, rolling their hips, zigzagging across the floor and looking incredibly nimble despite their relative girth. There is no embarrassment in Curves Zumba. Only a bunch of women, who all understand how hard it is to be overweight in a world that heralds the slim, having fun moving their bodies together with a good beat.

I am completely intimidated by well-preserved women (and men) with well-toned, muscular bodies. I find your typical gym to be an unfriendly place for a person like me – I feel large, awkward and unwelcome in most health clubs, as well as at the pool. I don't really like to exercise. But I am learning that it actually makes me feel good and that in order to maintain a healthy weight and body, I need to find a way to do it consistently.

I have always had a tendency to gain weight around the middle. Frankly, I have looked pregnant for the last 10 years, long after my last baby was born. I have felt abnormal, trying to hide my weight flaws with strategic clothing choices. But I feel unfettered by these worries when I work out. I am more in tune with my body than I have in a long time, closer to its rhythms and unafraid to wear form-fitting clothing so that I can move more freely in my routine. I like being in a woman-only gym, and I like being with women who, like me, don't look like models and have a few curves to spare.

At my gym, everyone is welcome. My curves are heralded. I am not competing with anyone – we are all there to get healthy and do the best we can do on a circuit of machines designed for our bodies. I have recently been using the ballet barre to stretch my legs, and it helps me remember that I actually used to be agile. My body's memory is slowing coming back, and I am beginning to feel lightweight and flexible once again as I move around the room.

I am indebted to the woman who owns our neighborhood Curves, who has kept it open despite struggling (and trying to sell it) during the recession. This is a special place, where every woman who walks in that door can feel like she has a place at the workout station, and everyone who wants to can excercise, stretch, Zumba, and feel like she is taking a small step each day to health and well being without being judged by her size, age, mobility or full-on curves. 

• Some readers may remember hearing that Curves donates money to anti-choice causes. It is my understanding that Curves owner supports such causes, but neither the Curves organization nor, in my case, my local Curves, is a supporter of these causes.

photo by kevindooley via Flickr

Comments

[Your sister, Rachel]

Your honesty is inspiring. You go girl.

[Katherine]

What a wonderful, honest blog post. If it helps at all, I never think of you as large or overweight -- your big beautiful smile is such a standout. And I am confident you will continue to rock that more-lithe body. Once you see progress, you've got the momentum.