I usually shun classes that meet at the same time every week and require a lot of equipment, even when the equipment is provided. It’s too regimented for me. But this afternoon I went to a step class at the local health club at the urging of an acquaintance who attends regularly. She claimed it was a great workout.
I can’t argue with that. If I hadn’t already been working out for the past nine months, I would have collapsed into a heap resembling a pile of limp clothes waiting for the washing machine. But I’m proud to report I managed to make it through the entire class on my feet.
Did I like it? Not really. By my standards, there was a lot of equipment to contend with; there were a variety of moves that the other participants seemed to know already; there was blaring music that sometimes drowned out the instructor’s directions. And there were maybe one hundred crunches as the grand finale to the hour.
I ran to the water fountain a couple times for breathers and then skidded back to my place behind my step, which is a little raised platform that one uses in the various moves. It’s like doing regular aerobics, except that the moves are done partly on the floor and then partly by hopping up and down from the step. I was just getting the hang of it, when the instructor announced that we were to switch from our step to another piece of equipment called a BOSU, which is like half of a large, squishy beach ball that makes the stepping part more difficult. After that we used weights and then came individual mat work and the crunching routine.
Judging from the prevalence of equipment oriented classes, participants must like all that stuff. I went to a yoga class once that looked as if each person had brought along everything from his or her front hall closet. Every one had a folding chair, blocks, blankets, and belts. I watched a swimming for seniors class where you’d have thought they’d all reverted to their youth, what with beach balls and flotation devices and noodles within arm’s reach. (If you don’t know what a noodle is, believe me it isn’t a large piece of pasta even though it looks similar.) And I’ve observed weight lifters who carry an entire bag of gloves and wraps and belts for their routines.
Maybe I’m not as engaged in fitness as others, but I’m attracted most to those activities that don’t require a lot of gear or setting up. Navigating the equipment distracts me from the actual purpose I’m there, which is for a cardio workout. And, if you need to organize your equipment, then you can’t work out on the spur of the moment. What works best for me is a good pair of shoes and an open road (or I’ll grant a treadmill when the weather isn’t cooperative), and I have no trouble getting my BOSU in gear.
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