BoomerGirl Diary

Dear Crabby:

I'm looking for something new for my exercise routine this year. What can you recommend?

Bored in Baltimore

Dear Bored:

You are not alone, Bored. The vast majority of people do want to be more active, but get tired of the same old routine. The fine folks at fitness marketing want us to get our fannies back in the gym, and most importantly, put out some serious cash to engage in the latest fitness craze!

What are some of these new options? Some of you may recall BG's own Cathy Hamilton and her Zumba-mania, and dance is still big in the fitness world. Also Salsa, Tango, and all manner of fusion dancing. By fusion, I mean they throw in everything from Baryshnikov's pirouettes to the Solid Gold Dancers' bootyshimmies — and the chicken dance. Just stay away from something called "stripaerobics." Crabby feels that over the age of 40 there is a minimum amount of decorum, and clothing, that must remain in place at all times during exercise.

Yoga is still huge, and it is also being fused with lots of other forms of fitness. There's yogilates (yoga + pilates), yogarobics (yoga + aerobics), yogagrooves (dance + yoga) and lord knows how many other forms of yoga. I myself am taking a yogawelda class. That's right, yoga + welding. Bring your car by, I'll fix that loose axle.

There's even something called Retro Fitness. This is fitness based on childhood memories especially for us Boomers, like HulaHoop fitness, trampoline fitness, Pogofitness, and for all I know, FamolareRockAerobics. (The Italian shoes with the famous wave sole?... Anyone? Anyone?) If this trend catches on, I assume we will see it filter into the diet arena. I'm waiting for Oprah to showcase the Easy Bake Oven diet plan ("It's 60 watts of weight loss!").

Lastly, and I do NOT recommend this for our age group, is the idea of "suspension" fitness — trapezes and ropes. I thought this went out with Circus of the Stars, but apparently some genius has revived the practice. Listen, what people do in the privacy of their own bedrooms is fine by me, but I don't really want to see this sort of thing in our gyms and fitness clubs. It's a family environment, people.

Me, I like the old stand-bys. Walking, swimming, and some light weightlifting (and for the masochists in the crowd, running). All (except the running) are easy on the over-40 body, all tried and true, with solid research behind them to back up their fitness capabilities. But hey, if you're the adventurous type, you can try a new class, video, or sign up for that Amazonian Crocodile-Wrestling Martial Arts Retreat I heard about recently. After all, it's hard to be bored when you're getting your spandex kicked by an eight-foot reptile. Have fun!