It’s not that I’m surprised at being the youngest person in my water aerobics class. I was taken aback, however, when I realized on my first day there, that had she come with me, my mother would have been the youngest one there. The fact that I had somehow signed up for an exercise class that was clearly for elderly women was so absurd to me that during the first twenty minutes of that initial session, it was all I could do to resist bursting into giggles. I bit the inside of my lips. I closed my eyes and did yoga breathing. And I made it. I did not collapse into laughter. I honestly wasn’t sure if I could go back a second time though. What were the odds that I could keep it together twice?
Now, with two classes behind me, I am ready to announce that water aerobics, the old lady class I accidentally signed up for in the name of being a healthy pregnant person, is THE COOLEST.
I love it. I might not stop going ever. When is the last time you played in a pool? Not swam, but played? It’s fun. We jump like frogs. We play with styrofoam barbells. We ride on water noodles like horses. I’m sorry, did you miss that? WE RIDE WATER NOODLES AROUND THE POOL LIKE HORSES. In summary, water aerobics is the tightly held secret of old women who don’t want the rest of us to get in on their fun. Well, I’ve found them out.
A few years ago, my husband and I made a list of 101 things we wanted to do in the next 40 years as a way to set priorities for our marriage and dream together. We included things big and small, from buying a historic downtown building to going camping. One of the things I added was to find a new form of exercise that I enjoy. This should have been crossed of the list long ago. But it turns out that trying new things — at least new recreational things — isn’t so easy as a grown-up adult. When you get a spare minute to do something fun or exercise or recreate in any way, you tend to do what you know you enjoy. Because why waste a minute of potential enjoyment on something that might not be worth it?
Well, lesson learned. Trying something new is not just worth it, it’s golden. It’s delightful. It’s ride-around-a-pool-on-a-foam-noodle awesome. And it’s catchy. I want to do something else new now. New language? Take up fencing? I don’t even know yet. But I’m not going to let a few more years go by while I decide.
Natalie Burg 
Did you and your husband make the list slowly, over time, or did you drink a bunch of drinks one night and make it then and there?
It took several sessions! Actually, more than a year. Sometimes we still make changes to it if our priorities change or we have a new idea. It’s a fun exercise!