The Sado-Masochistic World of Step Aerobics

I went back.

To step aerobics.

I thought I'd give it another chance. I mean, I didn't hate it. I liked the sweating part. I hated the foot work part.

So I went.

Right away I knew something was up. Something was different. People were acting funny.

And the step aerobic's floor looked...odd. There weren't rows and rows of steps. There were circles of steps.

Picture a pinwheel! of steps. Four of 'em.

Which is why it's called pin wheel step aerobics.

Four steps are put together, short ends facing. Two across with a gap between and then two perpendicular to these, positioned in the gap. Four people--one per step.

And we were off. Me, the second-timer. The perfectly made-up woman. And the woman I overheard announcing to someone that she just turned 65 years old.

It was the same instructor as the first time. I think her name is Sherry or something. So the moves were the same. Except sometimes she would yell "over!" and it could mean one of two things: hope over the step and move to the next in sequence in the pinwheel OR do a move hopping back and forth over the step.

That was confusing.

It was fun..added a whole new dimension to the step aerobics experience. But even more confusing than regular row by row step aerobics.

I mean, it's hard to follow along with the instructor when you're looking at her reflection in a mirror. Don't quite get it right.

Our biggest problem as pinwheel partners was figuring out which way to be going. Clockwise for one leg, counter clockwise for the other. We were never quite sure which way was which.

In fact, at one point the 65-year old yelled at me, "We're going this way! Who cares which was is right!"

She scared me. I spun around an went the way she told me.

I did some of the ab work. With some cramping pain. I did manage to get upright and into the locker room without assistance.

Step Aerobics...another step closer to conquering it...

bad pun, eh?