Will Lagree YYC Agree with Me?

It began as a writing gig and suddenly, to my huge surprise, I find myself signed up for classes at Lagree YYC . . . my first fitness foray in decades. Usually, I am able to say no to exercise with astonishing speed and agility. I have done so with relative impunity for most of my adult life but there is no saying no to Len Seidman, Lagree enthusiast, businessman and husband of Lagree YYC owner, instructor and personal trainer Kim Rothenberg.

Len invites me by to observe a class. Fitness classes take me beyond my comfort zone (Couch. TV. Snacks. Repeat until unconscious.) I am able to wrap my carb-addled brain around exercise as a spectator sport, so there I am, notepad in hand, watching spandex-clad folks get a total body workout using the Lagree Method.

There is a surprisingly diverse group of people navigating their way through exercises designed to work every muscle group with the help of the Megaformer, a machine with a sliding carriage and a system of weights, springs and pulleys to offer the right resistance throughout a low-impact 45 minute workout.

Christina, is a yoga instructor elsewhere in town. Janine is the Director of a nearby community centre featuring all kinds of fitness classes. These two know what’s what and here they are at Lagree.

Sharon and Amelia are moms with young tots, carving out some time for themselves.

Milton is a semi-retired businessman bouncing back from a hip replacement.

And then there’s our instructor . . .

During my 45 minutes of exercise voyeurism, my terror is overcome by an even more powerful emotion – an immense desire to feel as excited about ANYTHING as Kim Rothenberg is about fitness!

I am a 50-something woman who has tried every weight loss plan in the book . . . a Fad Diet Hall of Famer who has gained and lost hundreds of pounds over a distinguished career of overindulgence, exercise avoidance and denial.

My weight has yo-yo’d between 124 and 210 lbs (which is where I tipped the scale on the day of my high school graduation some 39 years ago.) I managed to get myself kicked out of a university ballroom dancing class after an unbecoming fit of laughter that followed the instructor’s directive to breathe through my diaphragm. Then I tried yoga but literally peed my harem pants when something went comically wrong during an ill-fated downward dog.

My clothes range from size 6 through 14, running the gamut from revealing to concealing. Currently I am the poster girl for a style most commonly referred to as tent and awning.

While I have continually coveted – and occasionally achieved – a slim silhouette, I have done so the hard way . . . without exertion of any kind, laziness trumping vanity each and every time.

I come by a sedentary lifestyle honestly. I was raised on Kraft Dinner. Both my grandmothers were chain-smokers who never met a vegetable they liked. While in her mid-80s, my paternal grandmother actually received a plaque from the KFC location nearest her home commemorating her 1,000^th deep-fried meal.   We celebrated for an entire week.

A plaque hanging in my ancestral home reads “How good it is to do nothing all day, and then take a nap.” We don’t have a family coat of arms. If we did, it would feature miniature takeout menus fanned out on either side of a recliner.

Other than a guilt-induced stint of pre-natal Aquacise when I was pregnant with Dot #1, my exercise routine has, for many years now, consisted mainly of walking slowly from my car to the curb, because speed kills.

Fast forward 25 years and here I am, writing about Lagree YYC when the penny drops:

Life is good . . . I want to live forever!

But my metabolism is shot. My joints ache. I don’t have muscle memory. As far as I know, I may not even have any muscles.

The answer is right in front of me. Due to popular demand, Lagree YYC has opened a class for beginners and those who, for whatever reason, want to take things slow. Lagree – Full Body – Light is a gentle step toward revving up metabolism, burning fat, building strength and endurance, and creating a long, lean look. It’s low impact and while the exercises are performed slowly, the results can be quick.

I write the news release.

And then . . . to my complete surprise, I sign up and become part of the Lagree YYC story.

I want to do this for the right reasons. But I know, deep down inside, that fear of failure and the potential for public humiliation will help to motivate me.

So I am recording my journey. And inviting you along for the ride . . .

Next time: My Fateful First Date with the Megaformer!