Welcome to day twenty-nine of Just Jot It January for 2023. Today’s word is exercise.
When I saw the prompt, I wondered when I first heard the word exercise. In grade school we always had recess, but not really formal exercise classes.
I thought it might have been on either Romper Room or Captain Kangaroo I first heard the ‘Chicken Fat” song. That could easily be a skewed memory. Regardless, I still hear Robert Preston’s voice singing the “Chicken Fat” song with small children exercising to the song much like the following video. Leave me a comment if you remember this song.
Somewhere in the early sixties, we all became aware of The President’s Council on Physical Fitness. I seem to remember forms that explained all the exercises like pull-ups, push-ups, 50-yard dash, and others.
In later grade school years we always had a field day or two. It was a full day spent outside competing in races, broad jump, relays, etc. They awarded ribbons for first, second, and third place, but back in our day we did not all get ribbons just for participating.
Then somewhere along the way, isometric exercise became a thing. I have vague memories of it somehow being related to the Canadian military, but I don’t trust my memory on this one.
I remember going to the gym with my aunt when I was 13 or so. They had those vibrating exercise belts and the wooden roller bar machines, both of which you can see in the video below.
In high school we had organized Phys-ed classes. In our school we did so many different activities: Gymnastics, tumbling, archery, dance, swimming, basketball, track and field, and straight-up exercise.
I was also in the band and all summer we either practiced (which included duck-walking the football field when we messed up a routine) or competing in parades and competitions all over the east coast.
Meanwhile at home we had a machine similar to the flex-a-lounge you can see here near the bottom of the page. It wasn’t called that but I remember using it frequently. But honestly, most of the time we played flag football or badminton in the front or side yard.
With television and VCR came exercise videos and television programming. Everything from Jane Fonda to Susan Powter to Richard Simmons and Billy Blanks. I did them all!
Now most of my exercise is physical therapy or going to my local gym whenever my doctor allows it. My how things have changed!
Written as part of Linda Hill’s JusJoJan.
Prompt word today (exercise) submitted by Wendy from Wendy’s Waffle.
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