Apparently it is “Blue Monday” today. I have no idea why it is called this but it is. When I woke up I may have felt a bit blah but certainly not blue. After breakfast my husband and I went to the gym. After I had warmed up I went to work on one of the machines. There was a man in the machine in front of me that I have seen there many times. He is older but not elderly. Opposite us was another man possibly my sort of age (70) . He got up and I saw he had a cane and walked with difficulty. He seemed to be fit in his upper body but had one leg that had clearly sustained serious injury requiring a major surgery. This injury had changed his life. Then the man in front of me got up and walked to his next machine.
Both of these men were lame. I would have given them a horse lameness rating of 4 (lameness obvious at the walk). As I got up and moved to my next machine I felt grateful that I can walk well. I climbed onto my next machine. Across from me was a woman possibly my age or a bit younger. She had large scars running down the front of her knees. Knee replacements? She was only able to do the movement in the machine one leg at a time. But she was doing her best. I have had both hips replaced and, wonders of modern medicine, they both work very well.
I then went to the stretching room. There was a young man (30 Something) on a mat on the floor. I took a mat and got down next to him. I started my favorite exercise. Planks! Just kidding! I hate them but they are a necessary torture for anyone who wants to ride a horse. So I start my plank and note the second hand on my watch. I do 60 seconds in the position. Then the young guy next to me starts grunting! Seriously! Grunting! He’s doing the same plank as me and according to his phone timer he is just coming up to 60 seconds. More grunts! Then he hangs on for another 15 seconds, Grunt! 20 seconds more……Grunt and Gasp and….. down he goes. Then ab crunches and more Grunt Grunt Grunt. I can feel a huge giggle burbling up from my throat but I quickly stifle it. I should add that this young man looks reasonably fit and has no obvious physical impairments.
I have just seen three older people who are dealing with physical issues but they are at the gym and they are doing the best they can. When they were ’30 Somethings’ they probably did not think their senior years would be like this. But here they are. At the gym. Giving it a go! And then there’s this Grunter Guy!
Here is what I am grateful for today.
- the wonders of replaced hips
- My good health! Despite some setbacks I am still here and loving life.
- I am able to ride my horse wonderful horse Biasini.
- I would only be a 1 (lameness difficult to observe and not consistently apparent)
- I am not a 30 Something Grunter posing as a person doing an actual workout!
GRATITUDE! Hope at every turn!
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