Water Ruins a Perm

I've taken up swimming. It's a great workout, burning more calories that running (I didn’t believe it at first either – check out this calorie burn counter http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/cbc), without leaving my feet, knees, and ankles screaming for hours afterward. I love swimming…once I get into my rhythm, I’m able to push through the “I can’t stand another second of this” to get in a really decent workout. And it’s quiet in the water. Sure, there are a million people at the gym at any given time, but once I’m in the pool, all I hear is my breathing and my thoughts.


When I run or use the elliptical, I feel like I’m on display. I hate running outside because I’m being watched by so many people and it makes me really uneasy. I know I shouldn’t care, but I do; all I can think about is the jiggling and shaking and how fast I'm not going. It’s not much better inside the gym. The way my gym is set up, there are windows all around the fitness equipment room so that even people who are not at least jiggling about with you can still watch. But in the pool, it’s different. I feel like the water gives me some sort of cover. Sure, the lifeguards can see me from their vantage point, but the other swimmers can’t. And due to the location of the pool, which is somewhat segregated from the rest of the facility, there aren’t really any casual bystanders milling about. The other swimmers have their faces in the water, so there’s just this feeling of having some sort of privacy.

While I love the cover of the water, I’ve discovered a whole new group of people for me to watch (I know, I know, I like it both ways): the blue hairs. There are all sorts of old ladies who come to the pool in the middle of the day. They do water aerobics wearing floral-print swim suits and aqua socks. The best part, though, is that they all get into the pool and then try not to get wet. Seriously?? Who gets into 30,000 gallons of water and then tries not to get wet? I guess water ruins a good perm.

Who knew the best part about swimming would be the people watching?