Zibby Mag

By Leslie Hooton

I am not the most obvious spokesperson for exercise or fitness. A stroke at birth has affected the right side of my body, which now has severe spasticity. Think of my left side as a grape and my right side as a raisin.

I’ve always maintained that movement is regenerative, a Fountain of Youth, so to speak. Ponce de Leon, according to legend, was always on the move looking for the real Fountain of Youth. But he had one thing right: being on the move is how we’ll find it.

In this quest, there are two words that are your enemies and two that are your allies. They are always sparring for your time.

In one corner are “can’t” and “fear,” looking cocky and smug. In the opposite corner, you’ll find your allies, “adaptability” and “consistency,” holding a water bottle and towel.

“Can’t” is the enemy of exercise, and “fear” is its sidekick, the bully that shames you into staying on the sofa and binging Netflix.

I really don’t play well with others.

By that, I mean I can’t participate in exercise classes because of my limited mobility. (There’s that word again, “can’t.”) So I figured if I took private lessons and worked with instructors, I could do them my way. This is where adaptability comes in. Figure out your limitations and find a way to push through them.

When I started Pilates twenty years ago, I told my instructor Laney that I wanted Sarah Jessica Parker abs. She remarked, “don’t we all?” And then said patiently, “Leslie, everyone’s Pilates looks different.” That’s the truth! She adapted exercises on the equipment that worked for my body.

I learned very quickly that I would never have abs of steel. For the first decade of Pilates, my goal was just to make it through the torturous fifty minutes. I was working on balance and strength. I came to nickname my Pilates instructor the “Pilates dominatrix” because it was so difficult.

Yoga was no walk in the park either. It required adaptability because I couldn’t twist my stubborn body into certain poses. Props such as blocks, straps, bolsters, and blankets became my friends. My yoga room looked like a two-year-old just dumped out his toy chest.

Every day I walk for an hour, which brings me to the second principle: consistency. Some days I do the elliptical. I used to do it for twenty-five minutes but after a recent illness, I can only do five minutes. I know this sounds pathetic, but to me, it’s progress.

After about five minutes on the elliptical, my legs feel as though they weigh more than my entire body, and they start to shake. I try to walk it off. Do I ever get embarrassed because I can’t do something? Every day. But I muster the courage to do it anyway, and I hope to encourage all of those who haven’t started because of fear. I have to be my own cheerleader, and you have to be your own cheerleader. Yes, you can!

Do something every single day. I do something Monday through Friday. I take the weekends off for good behavior and because rest is also a part of this equation. That’s when I binge on Netflix.

It will get easier. It isn’t really about having Sarah Jessica Parker abs, but being confident and having the body that’s right for you—the one you want to have. I am convinced that, in the end, the sheer act of movement is the real Fountain of Youth. I still have all of my original parts. I think this is quite a feat for someone who was born with a bargain-basement body.

You may see me walking. You may see me catching my breath. You may even see me shaking after a workout. It’s okay.

I’m moving. As long as I’m moving, I’m on the road that leads to the Fountain of Youth. There’s plenty of room for all of us.

++

Leslie Hooton is the author of Before Anyone Else which garnered a Zibby nomination, The Secret of Rainy Days which was a book club favorite, and After Everyone Else released by Keylight Books in June 2022. Originally from Alabama, Leslie resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, and is at work on her next novel. A recent essay, “My Birth Was Traumatic—50 Years Later I Discovered the Truth” was published in Newsweek.