Best. Discovery. EVER.

So like most people in this obese nation of ours, I struggle with getting in shape. (And more importantly, staying in shape.) I am by no means overweight, I'd just like to be a little bit more trim and toned. I mean, come on, is a little bit of ab definition too much to ask?

And like a lot of people I know, my biggest problem is discipline. I've tried it all, but I can't quite seem to stick with anything. I have DVDs - TaeBo, yoga, pilates, target toning. They sit on my shelf above the TV. I have equipment - resistance bands, free weights, a balance ball. They sit in a drawer beneath my under-utilized DVD shelf. I bought a cheap but effective little stationary bike that I planned to ride three times a week. I think the longest I've ever kept up with that plan was three weeks, which is about 2.5 weeks longer than I kept up with the silly "run a mile every other day" scheme. I even bought new tennis shoes for that one! And don't even get me started on the exercise classes/programs I've signed up for, only to stop showing up after week 4. (Even when "showing up" only required rolling off my couch to do some push ups on the living room floor.)

Tomorrow. I swear I'll work out tomorrow.

But then yesterday I made the discovery of a lifetime. Water aerobics. I love swimming, so my latest attempt at fitness was to sign up for an Abs and Glutes swim class through the Montgomery County Dept. of Recreation. The price came to about $5.25 per class, which, in case you've never looked into group fitness, is insanely cheap. The pool is about 10 minutes from my apartment. How could I go wrong?

I guess this guy could have been my teacher.

As it turns out, I didn't. Water aerobics is the best kind of exercise I've ever tried. It was low impact, so my poor sad knees had no trouble keeping up. The instructor was young and enthusiastic, and he played some pretty awesome tunes. And even though I could feel my body working, you don't get covered in sweat when you're in the middle of a swimming pool. In fact, you feel pretty darned comfortable.

But the best part? The rest of the class was completely made up of old ladies (and one middle-aged dude). Normally in an exercise class I'm surrounded by pert little 18-year-olds who are schooling me on every single move. It makes me feel frustrated and totally insecure. But at a water aerobics class on a Wednesday morning? It's just a bunch of women 40+ who want to have some fun jumping around a pool.

I challenge you to be intimidated when you're surrounded by this.

And it was so fun. I felt great. I left the gym with a huge grin on my face, bummed only that I had to wait a whole week to go back again. And if falling asleep at 9:30 last night is any indication, I got one hell of a decent work out.

Now granted, it's still only week 1, but I can see myself sticking with this class. After all, if I don't show, who's going to bring the age median down by 25 years?