Kelloggs Crunches!

     My husband loves cereal, so we often have several boxes of cereal, many of which are Kelloggs.  Kelloggs recently had a promotion for a free CD of 10 minute workouts for a collection of 5 Kelloggs labels.  I thought 10 minute workouts sounds just like what I need for exercise, short and sweet.

When the CD arrived in the mail I quickly changed and popped it in, ready to do a quick exercise and feel I had made some commitment to being healthier.  I'm thinking slow and easy, no stress, minimal pain, just a comfortable 10 minutes, like taking a casual walk, the perfect time out, and I was ready.

Who pops up on the screen, non other than some beautiful, blonde, twenty year old with abs and buns of steel.  You knew instantly she had the entire collection of the steel body workouts, from the top of her head to her little piggy toe! 

She looks like the body I want but I want it without the pain and suffering and I know that that body only can possible take place in my imagination at my age.  Her enthusiasm compels me though, to lie on the floor on my rubber mat and proceed to do, what I believe to be 400 crunches.  We did them front, side, one leg up, both legs up, crossed over, holding for counts, small and fast, slow and long, 10 minutes seemed like 10 hours!  Kelloggs and Miss Steel Abs truly wanted to kill me!

The following morning I literally had to roll out of bed as my entire torso needed thermo heat wraps.  I needed the torso roll out package.  I asked myself, "What could be worse?"  And looking in the mirror I got my answer "Abs of Flab!"  I saw no improvement and oh how I hurt! 

The CD had other short workouts of leg lifts, bun ups, and arm strengthening, all of which were shelved, as I needed a month to recouperate movement in the mid section.

I now have moved on to another form of exercise which is more my speed.  I have started T'ai Chi classes and currently have learned 33 forms.  I have 15 more to learn and then I will have a short form routine to practice daily.  Meditation in movement, slow, easy, and it comes with no physical pain.  Funny how when we are young we live for the phrase no pain, no gain, so we work our bodies until they ache for days, knowing we will be a Miss Steel Ab lady.  Yes!

Now we just look forward to being a lady.  And sometimes we take her anyway we can. 

The good news is my instructor keeps telling the class that T'ai Chi balances the brain.  As the side of my brain that was working is now starting to fade perhaps this new side of the brain will kick in and my senior moments will diminish.  That's called Wishful Thinking!  "HB!"