Laugh Away the Calories

I love to laugh!

Laughter is good medicine (so is a cheerful heart Proverbs 17:22).

Laughing even burns calories.
Now that is my kind of workout--one that is fun, entertaining, and you don't even realize that you are getting a workout!

I needed a good laugh tonight so I revisited an old story from my journal.  My best friend's idea of working out is a bit more intense than mine.  Once a year, I forget how embarrassing my last visit to the athletic club was the previous year, and I agree to accompany her to another class.  Here is one of those exhausting experiences.

"Do you want to workout Sunday?" my friend asked me in a text.

"Sure," I replied innocently.

I was to pick her up at her house at 4:30.  I would use one of her guest passes to the gym.  We would 'warm up' on the treadmills first, then attend a 'core and stretch' class in her words.  This would be a good workout and a nice cool down stretch.

I did not run on the treadmill as fast as my friend but maintained a leisurely walk.  I, maybe, workout 2 to 3 times a week (I know I need to do better).  I don't workout past 35 minutes.  I workout by myself--not pushing myself physically (stopping to smell the roses occasionally).  I could have stopped after the treadmill.  We headed downstairs to get a spot in the back of the room.

The instructor assumed her position at the head of the room, her leopard sweatband tied around her forehead in Rambo fashion.  She flexed her huge arm muscles as she turned on the tribal music.  She said these words as she described the class..."hard core...one of the most advanced...not easy..."

I used these words to communicate to my friend throughout the workout "What have you done?...have mercy...oh my gosh..."  It was intense.  No one was talking, smiling, or laughing.  One lady accidentally threw her weight.  

My friend and I weren't quite doing the plank correctly.  I wanted to 'walk the plank' and abandon ship.  The instructor used encouraging words such as "Did you think it was going to be easy?" and "...that's cheating!"  I had started watching the clock a mere two minutes after the class had started.

My friend received a phone call in the middle of the workout.  She tried ignoring it at first.  The instructor looked slightly annoyed.  My friend went to answer it.  I continued on, trying to keep up with the torture.  My friend turned to me, phone in hand, and said, "It says it's from you!"  I was very perplexed because my phone was closed in my pocket.  Perhaps my phone wanted a way out of this workout, too.

Finally after 40 minutes of pain, my friend said that we could leave in 5 minutes.  The class was down on their mats.  I couldn't take it anymore.  I crawled over to my water and relayed a breathy message to my friend, "Anytime...you're...ready..."  I crawled back to my mat, but thank goodness we were leaving.

We gathered our mats, towels, and weights.  The crunching instructor said, "Had enough girls?"  I said, "Thanks, that was hard core."  She said, "You're gonna miss the pole dancing."  I replied, "One thing at a time."  And we limped out.

Yes, it is hard to believe that after such an experience I allowed her to talk me into a leisurely cycling class a year later that left me sore for a week.  I'll just stick to my pace and my style of workout where laughter counts as some of the calorie burning!