I was at my gym doing some bench presses when I glanced over and saw a woman who looked a little older than me doing some bent over rows and jotting down notes in a worn black and white composition notebook. I have been keeping an eye out for women in my age group at the gym and there are not many, but a few that appear to be pretty regular and quite serious about their regimens.
After I completed my sets I approached this lady with beautiful white curls and asked her name. Nancy smiled and stopped her rows. I said “No, please don’t stop what you are doing. I don’t want to interrupt your workout. I would just like to ask you a few questions.” As she took up her task again she told me that she had been lifting regularly for 15 years and asked me the same question. We chatted for a short time as she completed her reps and I moved on.
Interacting with other people during my workout is new to me. I usually smile and say a word to the folks at the front desk when I come in and again when I leave. Not having a handle on gym etiquette, I just keep to my own business. It’s a solitary mission and always has been.
As of this moment I have officially decided to break that pattern and start talking with other ladies who lift. I learned in our short discourse that regular workouts are as important to Nancy as they are to me and that gives me a bit more determination in my pursuit of graceful and powerful aging. I am looking forward to this adventure in reaching out and the discovery it will certainly bring. So let’s all lift one (a barbell that is) to building support as we build muscle with the ladies who lift.
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