|
The ladies identified as the “Golden Girls” have been hard at work for the past seven months recreating themselves physically, mentally and spiritually. It's nothing new about ladies working out together in the gym, but these ladies ranging from age 48 to 74 years of age remind you of a group of girlfriends in their early 20's laughing and having fun with life.
The Golden Girl's existence began with Wanda Sharts, who at 48 years of age and is the ‘baby of the bunch', extended an invitation to Betty Engram to come and be her workout companion at the Isshin Ryu Club workout facilities. The invitation was not only accepted by Pastor Betty as she is called, but she extended the invitation to other friends who joined them in the early morning exercise activities. The group eventually expanded to six determined and committed ladies looking for deliverance from the aches and pains, weight gain, and energy reduction associated with growing older.
The name the “Golden Girls” came about one day when most of the ladies showed up dressed in gold colored shirts. Pastor Betty took notice of the fact and began to call the ladies the Golden Girls, which was eventually adopted as the ladies new tag name.
Most of the ladies are exercising for health reasons, and wanting to feel better, and almost all of the ladies have a goal of losing weight. Gathering 3-5 days a week at 6 am in the morning is a massive challenge in itself, but these ladies don't just show up, they make it happen. They are lifting, running, walking and dancing their way into a healthier existence.
These ladies aren't spending all their workout time sweating and out of breath, they have created their own special activities to enhance their gym time. They have incorporated time for reading bible scriptures, singing songs of praise and witnessing to each other and anyone else who wants to join in. These nurturing activities mostly happen during special set aside times in between their workout sessions, but at times they just break out in the midst of a good workout. When the ladies were asked what their favorite activity is, most of them responded, working with the medicine ball and dance class.
Although the group is six ladies strong, they have an open invitation for others to join the group. The group is open to men and women although the only male presence at this point has been in the form of their exercise coach, Coach Thomas and sometimes Mr. Herbert Edmon, the Isshin Ryu Club director. Coach Thomas is responsible for providing the ladies exercising leadership with whom the ladies have a love, hate relationship. The ladies sometimes identify him as their Drill Sergeant. Nia Harris is their dance instructor who receives nothing but love from the ladies because these ladies love to dance.
The ladies feel that their workout sessions have bonded their lives and have created within the group a special love for each other and a deep concern for each other's well-being and successes. They encourage each other to work out and then provide inspiration for each other to get through the trials and tribulations of a day-to-day existence.
The ladies have become an encouragement for others who come early to work out at the Isshin Ryu facility, and in many cases serve as a challenge for younger members who are determined to not let the group of ladies out work them. The ladies actually hope that their determination to anchor their health in a workout routine will also encourage family members and friends to follow in their footsteps and begin to establish a healthier lifestyle.
The ladies have not only taken to heart the exercise part of the commitment to being healthy, but they have also adopted healthy eating habits. The ladies have changed their eating habits and eating desires to accommodate the healthy lifestyle they are chasing. In changing their diets they also have changed the diets and eating habits of their families. They have changed the portions of food they eat and have also changed the types of food that they eat. In changing their cooking habits, they are baking, broiling and grilling more than frying.
The ladies have been encouraged by the constant notice of change in appearance and their increased energy levels, by family members and friends. "My family constantly tells me that they are amazed at how healthy I look these days, they say mama you look good, and I actually believe it made them feel a lot more secure to know that their mom is taking care of herself ,” shared Ms. Carol. Pastor Betty added, “My family hadn't seen me for a while and they were amazed at the weight that I had lost. They began to call me skinny and that made me feel so good."
Wanda, who is the baby of the bunch, says that she benefits greatly from the group activities. “The ladies have been my inspiration because they keep me going and keep me coming back to accomplish my goals. If it weren't for these ladies, I probably would have fallen off and backslid on my commitment to better my life.”
Regular exercise is important for everyone, but it may be especially critical as we get into our later years. Men and women who work out consistently through their 50s, 60s, 70s and even 80s and 90s look amazing, while their counterparts who don't exercise appear to have an accelerated aging pattern.
All the symptoms of a sedentary life, like poor muscle tone, bad posture, hunched shoulders, lower back pain, excess weight, and "spare tires," worsen significantly in older age. Individuals who don't work out regularly are often plagued with aches and pains, poor sleep, bad circulation, stiff necks, loss of bone density, and a lack of energy.
The good news is that exercise can dramatically reverse these ills. Maybe we can all take lessons from these ‘Golden Girls'.