I tried a water aerobics class for older people. At 39, I was surprised by how well I fit in.

When I signed up for a water aerobics class for older adults, I felt embarrassed — I was about 30 years younger than everyone else.

I’d recently moved in with my parents because I became disabled with long COVID. I wasn’t able to take care of myself in the same ways or exercise at the same intensity I was used to anymore, and I started to look for new ways of moving.

When you have chronic fatigue, it can be difficult to get movement in every day, but my doctors have told me it’s still vital to try. The key is finding something that doesn’t push beyond your threshold but also keeps you as active as possible.

I go walking in spring and fall. However, in Southern Illinois, where I live, temperatures and weather conditions in summer and winter are too extreme for me to walk outside. But there’s a gym with a pool down the street, and I love being in the water, so I decided to look at their classes.

I was the youngest person in the class by a few decades

I was surprised to see the variety of pool courses offered. However, many of them looked too vigorous. The only ones that appeared to be within the scope of my abilities were for older adults. Still, I put aside my self-consciousness about being 39 and considering this particular class, and looked at the time slots. This was the next hurdle — most were morning classes, as older people are often early birds.

Another symptom of my illness is insomnia, and I don’t wake up until after most of them take place. However, there was one beacon of light — a one-hour class starting at 5 pm that met three days a week. I decided to shed my pride and sign up.

My first time in the water, it took no time to realize I was in the “social butterfly” class — I would fit right in. Not only did everyone in the class immediately introduce themselves, but they also asked me why I was there. When I explained my disability, they showed genuine support.

Once class started, it became apparent that they all knew each other extremely well. It turned out most of them had been taking this same class together for years and were a tight-knit group. Whenever new people joined, they welcomed us with open arms. Apparently, they also liked this time slot because they weren’t “morning people” either. I felt right at home.

I fit right in with the group

As time went on, I was even more convinced of their party animal ways — they often spent the majority of the class socializing, while occasionally following the teacher. Now, that’s not to say they’re not active, because they definitely are. However, whether or not they are doing the actual exercises we are being shown is another subject entirely.

By the end of the hour, I was also introduced to this particular class’s special activity — they always insist the last 15 minutes are set aside to play with a beach ball.

I joined the game and they cheered each other on, trash-talked in jest, and even got a little competitive. With my age, I’m able to dive for the ball and do some tricks that others can’t. When I used these skills, they cheered loudly and excitedly. In fact, one man commented on “what a strong arm” I have.

Over time, I even made a close friend

Any discomfort I’d felt about joining an exercise class for older adults as a middle-aged woman quickly dissipated. And the surprises kept coming — the next class, I made a special friend. A woman approached me to chat while we were supposed to be exercising. She’d recently moved to the area and had only been attending for a few months.

As we got to know each other, we figured out that we’d both come from big cities to this small area, we shared a liberal mindset in a largely conservative area, and we both loved trying out new restaurants. Knowing she was about my mom’s age, and that my mom also wanted a friend who shared this affiliation, I suggested the three of us go out to dinner.

Now, we regularly go to the movie theater, go out to dinner, and attend local events related to our shared interests. In fact, sometimes she and my mom even go out without me! In the meantime, I’ve been going to these classes for the past three winters and loving every minute.

I didn’t have “become disabled, move home with my parents, join a water aerobics class frequented by retirees, and make new friends from a different generation” on my Bingo card for this stage of my life. However, it has not only been good for my health, but also for my soul.

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