"Step" into HELL!!

I am one of those sporadic workout types.  You know the kind, right?  New Year's comes along, set those resolutions, determined to reach them.  This time.....this time, only to find yourself days later making every excuse not to make it to the gym.  Well, I'm proud to say that I've been diligently working out now for 2 months.  I'm determined this time not to let work, family or laziness take over.  For the first time, in a long time, I'm enjoying it too, which is making all the difference.  I've lost 7 lbs and can actually see my body changing, which is a great motivating factor.  As I was looking back over some old posts, I came across this one and wanted to share it with the many new reader's of my blog.  I hope it'll make you laugh like it did for me.  I remember this day like it was last week.  Although, I have no desire or intention to try another step class, it made for a memory.  Here it is:

I took a step class the other night. Pure torture. I hated it. I consider myself to be in pretty good shape. At 43, I am proud of the fact that I can still wear a size 4 and I've maintained my weight since I was in my 20's. I work out regularly, although if it's raining, cold, I'm tired, stressed, lazy or one of my favorite shows is on, I skip it.

But last Thursday, motivated by the promises to have a tight butt and shapely legs again, I decided to give step class a try. I was feeling really good about my decision. With my Nike workout clothes and shoes, I made the drive to the Y. You'd think I was a pro, arriving to class with my towel and water bottle in hand.

As I walked into Studio A, I proceeded to the closet to pick up the torture device (or whatever you call that blue plastic thing) and placed it in the middle of the room. I was pumped and ready to go. In 45 short minutes, my body would be transformed! That was all the motivation this woman needed!

I looked around the room checking everybody else out. I wondered if they were "virgin" steppers like me. The instructor walked in. Hmmm, she looks a little older than I am, if she can do this, so can I.

It was time for class to start. The instructor took her place in the front of the room. The music began, to which I was pleasantly surprised to find it to be a mix of the 70's and 80's. Not only was I going to leave this class with my rock hard butt, I was going to have fun doing it, singing along to my favorite tunes!

She proceeded to tell us to begin by marching in place. I can do that! Years ago, I taught 9 aerobic classes a week, I know how to march in place! She started the class with the "basics". Hey, I was really getting the hang of this. I felt like a natural and feeling pretty good about myself. Like a duck to water. Then suddenly, something happened that changed everything! The instructor started going in all kinds of different directions. She started doing some kind of turn arounds on the step thingy and then she starting talking about "straddling" and "hopping" and "squatting", among many other things I have blocked from my memory......forever.

She announced, "Now those of you who are new (from the looks of the other confused participants in the room, that would be 95% of us) just hang in there, you'll get it". As soon as we would start to get a move down, she'd change it again. Then again and again and again. You get the picture.

I started to get so frustrated, I decided to rebel. I didn't care where she went or what she did on that stepper thing, I was sticking to the "basics". Under my breath, I must confess, I referred to her as a female dog more than once. Then, finally, it was over. I'd survived. Vowing to never return.

I'm sticking to the treadmill.