Exercise 🕺

Why do I do it?

A question I have asked myself for years! As far back as I can remember I have done some form of exercise. When I was young my mother insisted that I cycle to school unless I could somehow get out of it. I would have to be at death’s door before I was allowed to catch the bus! In my final two years at school my boyfriend had a car so my sister and I ditched our bikes and got a lift from him. This was after much haggling and pleading. My parents finally met with his and received confirmation that he was a safe and responsible driver! And I could get up half an hour later every morning! Bliss!

When at school, sport was an integral part of our curriculum. We had to play tennis, netball, hockey, do some form of athletics and swimming! Never been a sporty person I partook because I had to and never because I wanted to! A very guilty secret I’ll finally share. In desperation to get out of some classes I learned to forge my mother’s signature. It meant that I could often avoid swimming and gym. I’m sure leaping over that horse has caused permanent mental and physical damage! And we had to wear our giant bottle green school knickers and a T-shirt. Luckily I went to a girls only school but being shy and self conscious, this two hour weekly session was torture. It was to be avoided at all costs. I didn’t need to swim and get my hair wet at school. We had a pool at home!

But I always loved to dance! I did classical ballet and highland dancing until we moved to the other side of town and it became impractical. My daughter followed this path until she was about fifteen. She has suffered from problems with her feet ever since. A family doctor once told me that mothers who loved their daughters would never allow them to do ballet. I found this quite harsh as my daughter, who can be dramatic, often told me that dancing was her life! We still tease her but I think the doctor was being equally dramatic by making such a sweeping statement.

My sister and I were in a number of dance concerts throughout our early years and my mother would drag my father and brother along, kicking and screaming. My father had an aversion to ballet and could never understand why grown men wore ridiculous outfits and pirouetted around the stage! Apparently, at one of these concerts, my sister and I were two little Dutch girls in a garden. I remember seeing photos of us wearing Dutch style starched caps and black and white checked skirts. I think we were about four and six at the time. I apparently embarrassed my parents because my sister made a mistake and I reprimanded her loudly on stage and then slapped her!

Dancing has always been my most favourite form of exercise. The only kind that I truly enjoy. Many times over the years I have played music and danced around the house, in the garden, even, in later years, up on stage! I did some go go dancing in my final year at school until my father saw me practising and it was immediately banned! He was horrified that I was prepared to make such an embarrassing spectacle of myself and nothing, not even my mother, could change his mind!

So, in answer to my original question. Why do I exercise? I exercise for a number of reasons. I like to feel healthy. I don’t want to get fat. I’m vain. I like having a routine and exercise is part of that. I can’t remember not doing some form of exercise. I used to jog until I retired. I had planned to continue this torture for as long as possible but then decided that life was too short to dread hitting the road every day. I walk instead. Not just a casual stroll but a brusque serious walk, thanks to my husband and his ‘one pace fits all’!

I know that my routines have changed and possibly lost some of their intensity. A big difference is that I now have a choice. I’ll never honestly be able to claim that I enjoy exercising per se but I’m going to continue for as long as possible.

If I can stay active and healthy there is not much more I can do to stave off the ravages of old age. I do feel satisfaction and a sense of achievement after a class or a walk. I’m waging an age war and, come hell or high water, I am going to go down fighting! 👠