Healthy Aimed

OK, so I am bragging just a little bit. I have kept one of my '08 New Year's resolutions. I know that maintaining good health keeps health expenses down, so I aimed to exercise regularly; and I did it during '08. Right now it's sometime past 7 a.m., and I just returned from my spinning workout. I try to participate in spinning at least twice a week and "Body Pump" at least twice a week. The spinning class is 40 minutes of riding on a stationary bicycle along with others, being led through specific routines by an instructor to appropriately upbeat music. "Body Pump" is a carefully designed one-hour routine of weightlifting to music, again led by a trained instructor.

I'm healthier than I was a year ago, but more importantly I have a new network of acquaintances. There is a core of 25 people or so of which 2/3 are at the fitness center on any given morning. It's almost like "Cheers"--when I come in, I am greeted by friends. If I miss a few days, I'm expected to report where I've been. We acknowledge each other's progress in the workouts. If I increase the weight on my bar for a certain routine, it seems like someone always notices it and responds positively. We've marked many changes throughout our lives--new jobs, marriages, life-threatening illnesses, and deaths.

I have an obligation to keep healthy for myself and for those who depend on me, but I now have an added sense of obligation to continue working out at these 6 a.m. classes. Come next Monday morning, and many mornings after that, I'll once again roll out of bed early and get going for the exercise; but I'm going to show up for those other people, too.