The new year is in full swing now and there are many reasons, other than resolution fulfillment, to lose those extra pounds. Take Robert Cole for instance, an Australian prisoner who shed 31 pounds to escape through a six-inch wide hole he carved in the wall. He was on the lam for three days before he was captured in a Sydney shopping mall.
But most likely, you don't need to engineer the great escape like Robert did. Some of you want to live healthier lives, or look good on the beach in time for spring break. And like me, some of you just feel obligated because everyone and their mother is getting fit this time of year.
I decided the best way to approach this would be to try water aerobics at the Southeast Recreational Facility. It is low-impact, there's music, you don't get sweaty and it's a great all-around workout.
I found my swimming suit and made my way to the pool for the first class. Thinking it would fill up, I got there really early. As if I were a fish with a seven-second memory, I forgot I arrived early by the time I got out of the locker room and into the pool area. No one was there, and I thought I misread the schedule for the date and time of the class.
Anxious, fidgety and already in the water, I started swimming laps. At around lap seven, I saw some other girls come in with beach towels and flip-flops. Seeing they were sans goggles, I figured they were probably there for the class and I calmed down enough to remember that I got in the pool 10 minutes early.
The teacher came in and we started a warm-up. I was feeling pretty good about myself. I was keeping up with everyone and the music. I was even doing the extra moves the instructor suggested. It was retribution for all of those gym classes when the teacher would start going inside and stop timing before I could finish my mile run. Not this time, no way, I was in the zone. It may have been the shallow end, but the zone nonetheless.
Then, the old memories flooded back to me. The moves got harder, my jumps weren't as high and my arms felt like I had been flagging in planes all day. I was floundering. The worst part came when the instructor encouraged us to lie on our backs and keep our feet out of the water. I could hear my abs laughing at me.
'Ha-ha, Erin, who are you kidding? Years of burritos and chocolate milk are surrounding us; we couldn't hold you up long if we wanted to. And believe me, we don't.'
My legs continued to dip in the water, and 20 seconds from the end of the drill, I let them fall. The wake from my legs hitting the water floated across the pool. I thought my fitness dreams went with it.
But something strange happened''''?they didn't. I didn't give up. I didn't stop at McDonald's on the way home and use apple pies as tissues. Something clicked. I might not have been very successful, but it's not going to be perfect overnight. So I'm going back, sore arms, sore legs and all. It won't be easy, but if Robert Cole can make it through a six-inch hole for freedom, then I can make it through 60 minutes of water aerobics for new jeans.
