Fit To Ride
Awareness of the outside world. “We teach dance at 30 social service agencies, child development centers, preschools, and elementary schools in Greater Birmingham. All sites are subsidized with community support and some are provided classes for no fee. No child pays to participate. TDF: Community.
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How do you drag your carcass off the couch?
Or, more politely, what do you do for exercise & how do you get motivated to do it?
What I Don’t Do
Cardio. Although I know I need it.
Strength. Although I know I need it.
Stretching. Despite my bold words. [Brought It On My Own D*mn Self]
Fit Rider videos. Good intentions. [Ride Like An Athlete]
Weekly 5K walks. Not worried. Fell off the schedule recently. Should pick back up fairly quickly, see below. [Virtual 2021]
What I Do
Walking. Can’t give myself too much credit here. I like walking. It comes easily. Therefore, it’s not hard to haul my c off the c. [Heading North, Walk Report, LEJOG]
Biking. A husband activity that I join. Have recently knocked dust off selves and bikes to get back on the road. Easier with more light in the day. [Biking Virtually, Great Ocean Road, The Sequel]
Dance class. Restarted dance yesterday. A summer session of beginner ballet for seniors. So beginner that the clothing requirement is comfy clothes and sox. Despite a history of dance classes as a kid and as an adult, I’m relieved that it’s a beginner class. I might be able to keep up.
I have no explanation for my continued fascination with dance classes. I’m terrible at dance. I have no musical appreciation. I can’t remember steps. I have the rhythm of a spider made from LEGO bricks. I don’t say this in false modesty. We all have skills. These are not mine.
And yet.
Everything else that I am bad at, I avoid if at all possible. Team sports. Hand-eye coordination sports. A high moment of my life was when I got to college and could fill my gym requirement with riding lessons.
And yet.
I keep circling back to dance classes. This will be my third, fourth?, go-round in Birmingham, my second at The Dance Foundation.
If only I could find the same motivation for the Don’ts.
Dance Class, Day One
We be in the fancy space.
Thank you to Melissa, Instructor, and Steve McKinney, Piano.
Dance Posts
[Challenge, Do Something You Are Bad At]
[Waving My Arms to Music]
Stay safe. Stay sane.
Katherine
Virtual Brush Box 
I laughed and laughed at your description of dance. I have no dance skills either, and no childhood dance classes (though I begged). After I was forced to give up running, I considered biking, even though there is no easy, safe, year-around place to bike—and then the very day I had scheduled to talk to the local bike shop, a woman was hit and killed biking two blocks from our home. I took it as a sign. I tried bellydance. Yeah, “I can’t remember steps. I have the rhythm of a spider made from LEGO bricks.”
So walking. Twenty miles or more each week. That’s all I’ve got. The view is marvelous.
Walking is excellent. Plus, yr walk is so pretty. I have trouble with bad footing and my knees. Does the sand bother y’all or are you used to it?
Everyone else. Go check out the gorgeous photos on her blog (click on name).
Thank you! The sand is fine. Dry sand is very hard walking—but we walk on wet sand. I actually ran half a mile yesterday! It was amazing. No ill effects, but I have had trouble with my feet too.
And the view is marvelous. The ocean, the sky, the birds fly by. The occasional seal. Most mornings we see tracks from deer and coyote. Raccoons. Everything is beautiful.