Exercising Humility

Monday is my exercise day.
I do minimal exercise on all other days of the week, but Mondays are dedicated to two specific activities:  the walking group and aquafit.

The walking group involves a lot of talking as well. Walking from Mile Zero on Dallas Road to Moka House on Shoal Point - 30 minutes (I timed it for the IslandInMotion activity). Coffee, visiting, laughing and then it’s return back the same way again, talking all the way.

Now here’s the humbling part.
I have, for most of my life, hidden a part of me. It, which is my scoliosis - a fancy name for a crooked spine - caused my left shoulder to droop and my hips to shift to the right. It left me unbalanced with clothes that wouldn’t fit. And once more I was different.

I’ve worked hard at correcting that, hiding it with certain types of clothes, standing up straight - or at least as straight as possible - and regular basic yoga practise. I’ve not really been aware of being ashamed of this crooked old back of mine as it has held up beautifully and my shoulder no longer droops, my hips aren’t as unbalanced.

The humbling part?
When I go to Aquafit, I am first in the ladies locker room, stripping quickly into my birthday suit, revealing myself unwillingly to all and sundry. (Hopefully I'm alone.) Wearing a bathing suit that shows my bare back and it’s lumpy, curving spine and offset hips, I pull myself up to my awesome height of 5’1’ - and I’m stretching that!  (If my back wasn’t crooked I’d be taller!)

All body types and ages, some very young, adolescent, middle aged and old gather with towels, bathing suits of as many descriptions as our bods, and metal lockers waiting patiently to hide our clothing and shoes. The youngsters, not in the Aquafit classes, seem relaxed and nonchalant about their shining young bodies. For the rest of us 60 something - 80 something group with our surgical scars, muffin tops, turkey necks and the ever present loose arm flaps are less so - or maybe I should just speak for myself.

Then, an hour long class over, and after a few minutes in the hot tub, we stand naked in showers beside each other, trying to hurry and cover up again before we switch from swim togs into clothing - once more wearing our outside selves.

Everyone seems almost comfortable. No one notices me! (I hope.)

“To lose confidence in one’s body is to lose confidence in oneself.”

~ Simone de Beauvoir