Women Warriors at Work It Out

I have to take a moment to post about my instructors at Work It Out Women's fitness in Maple Valley, the gym that has become something of a second home to me.
Billie Otter (great last name) was my first instructor at the gym almost a year ago, as she teaches the Balls and Weights class. Billie is the perfect instructor. She doesn't bark at class participants, she modifies the more grueling moves for those of us who have joint issues, or are just old and fat, like me, and can't do high impact moves without hurting ourselves and she answers any questions you have completely and thoroughly. Billie also has the best sense of humor, always has a smile or a laugh to share, and is kind, generous and extremely knowledgable about exercise and the dynamics of muscles in motion. To know her is to adore her, and to take one of her classes is like eating a potato chip (except healthier, of course!), you can't do just one, you must attend all her classes, just to see what great new exercise or wonderful anecdote she will come up with next! There are few people with a talent for making exercise a joy in this world, and Billie is one of the few and the proud. I love balls and weights and have more fun bouncing on those big exercise balls than I do at almost anything else I do during the day. So it's just icing on the cake that it works my core and is helping to shrink me down by building muscle. Billie is tall, slender, muscular and blonde, so shes as lovely inside as outside.
Suzzane is another favorite instructor, though she's harder on her class participants than Billie. Suzanne is a solid five foot two block of muscle and zippy style. She's also a happy, smiling kind of gal with a good sense of humor and understands when her class members need to have some moves modified, yet she doesn't automatically modify like Billie does. She also works us harder and longer without breaks, though we actually do get them, which is a good thing. I enjoy Suzannes Pilates class and her Cardio Lift classes, and even her spin classes. She has been adding moves to her cardio lift classes that are very difficult for me to perform without passing out, though, so she has encouraged me to work out with my ball at home and try building up my strength. I just muddle along in her classes, knowing that there are some moves I won't be able to do for very long, or at all. But I am nothing if not stubborn and persistant, and I keep on trying. I know that Suzanne cares about me giving new moves a shot, even if I can't do them for long, so I will continue to do the best I can. And she's always trying to get us to make noise during class to let her know how we're doing. Most of us are quiet because we're too busy gasping for air to talk or groan.
Janice, a co-owner of the gym, teaches a Boot Camp class that she wants me to take, but after having Janice substitute for various instructors, I can safely say that I think I'd fail miserably in her class. Janice is a very muscular woman who believes everyone should do high impact aerobics 7 days a week with no breaks. She's a drill sergeant kind of instructor who doesn't believe in modification for any reason. There have been larger gals who have hurt themselves in her class because they were told to do things they couldn't physically do. I fear Janice, though I know that under her tough exterior lies a kind heart. Many of the moves that she has people do in her classes are feats of athleticism that only the very buff and strong can accomplish. I can try to do things, of course, and modify them to what I can do, but I fear that this will not wash with Janice, and she'll make me attempt moves over and over until I can do them or die. I don't really enjoy pain, or gasping like a fish or wanting to barf in class, so I've avoided her boot camp class so far. This Wednesday, though, she's told me that she wants me to eschew balls and weights and attend her boot camp class or be forever relegated to the realm of wimpy whiners. So wish me luck, and hope that I don't tear anything while I'm flailing around in her class this week. Wednesday is also my grandmothers 99th birthday. She never had a weight problem, and never exercised either, other than doing farm work. I wish I'd inherited her skinny genes!