A New Exercise Dominatrix

I've decided that I need to do some regular exercise that is a bit more involved than walking the dogs every day. Since just after xmas, I've been doing half an hour of pilates three times a week. But I'm not in a class, haven't paid any extra fees, I don't even have to leave home. It's the magic of YouTube.

In general, I spend about 0.000001 seconds per day on YouTube offerings. But there's this Aussie named Angela and her partner Nina who, with a click, will direct you through a variety of pilates workouts. Nina is a silent partner, not uttering a peep in any of the half dozen videos I've watched of them. She gets stuck demonstrating the "easier" options while Angela spurs us on to greater heights of effort.

There are workouts for abs, for the butt, and several different, simple to moderately difficult general routines. I love them! I can do them in my bedroom in the morning after I feed the dogs, who are then happy to doze on the bed, occasionally lifting an eyelid to see what I'm doing, while I grunt and roll around on my mats (I'm a delicate flower; I need two mats stacked together).

Angela is probably in her 40s and she looks fabulous! The Aussie twang is always entertaining. But best of all, she's a subtle exercise dominatrix, enticing you to attempt exercises that look simple. You do your best, got to keep Angela happy, but by the next day, you are thinking, good god, I had no idea I had that many different muscles in my butt.

Of course, I know perfectly well that I am my own dominatrix--Angela is certainly not setting my alarm or forcing me to do anything. But we all create these kinds of fantasy narratives to help us get along, get through.

I know that I feel better, that I sleep better, that I am more alert during the day when I exercise regularly. All that for a small, regular investment of time with Angela and Nina.