Goldstone Boot Camp

There’s no way to capture this moment in writing, but it was priceless. The ninth grade English curriculum touched on health and fitness, so I told the kids to wear their workout clothes the next day. The girls wear long navy blue skirts and white blouses daily, so breaking out of their uniform was exciting for them to begin with. I didn’t realize just how exhilarating a short aerobics class would be. A friend of mine came to help out, and because the girls were too embarrassed to exercise in front of the boys, we split them into two groups. We stood the benches upright against the classroom walls and turned our cramped little space into a miniature fitness center. First, I demonstrated how to do jumping jacks. They all started giggling – I never know why they’re laughing, so I’m accustomed to carrying on while they laugh. But I realized they weren’t laughing because I looked like a bouncing idiot (well, not entirely) – they were laughing because they had never seen this done before. I cranked some music through two small speakers, and they tried out their new move. They started jumping tentatively at first, slapping their hands together – then they sped up, awkwardly flailing and squealing like kids at a carnival. They were absolutely ecstatic doing the most basic PE warm-up. They were smiling and laughing and having so much FUN. Their laughter was contagious . Most looked like they were going to pass out after thirty seconds, breathing like they sprinted a lap around the track. Next came wall sits, and we finished with push-ups. They kind of looked like push-ups. Each new exercise brought the same excitement, and the boys had the same response…literally screaming with joy (and maybe a new kind of pain – squats just can’t be THAT fun). Their shirts were pasted to their backs with sweat (really, I sweat when I blink … working out in this hot, humid mess is crazy). I didn’t expect this kind of reaction during routine calisthenics –days like this are so great. And I learned quickly that even though not a single kid is overweight, they need more exercise.