Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Remember Jazzercise?

To celebrate the love I am feeling today with a whopping 85 followers, I figured I'd post another blog. Not only am I loving all of the new followers, but your feedback is equally as awesome! Keep on bringin' it!




Those who have survived the '80s may remember a little workout class called Jazzercise. Up until recently, I truly thought Jazzercise was extinct. An e-buddy mentioned loving her Jazzercise classes and tried to convince me to drop my boring gym membership and join a Jazzercise class. I must admit, it was tempting for a moment until I remembered my not-so-fond childhood experiences at Jazzercise.

Jazzercise was similar to Weight Watchers meetings back in the day. There wasn't an actual "center" for the flock to congregate. Instead we were welcomed by a cold concrete floor found in the basement of a school, church or temple. Whatever normally was in that room was pushed off to the side. The rooms always had that freaky echo and was filled with distracting bulletin boards overrun with kid's drawings.

Mom loved inspiring me to burn calories. She'd honestly do anything to get me to shed those extra pounds! She would drag me every week to her Jazzercise class where we'd bust a move to "Heart of Rock 'n Roll" by Huey Lewis and try to keep up with the crew while doin' the Neutron Dance.  At 12  I was always the youngest broad in the room. Clad in stupid pastel sweat pants and rainbow decal t-shirts, I stood out like a complete dork among a sea of toned twenty-somethings decked in pink and blue satiny stockings, leotards and leg warmers.

(Of course the founder of Jazzercise is a hottie!)


Man I hated Jazzercise. I hated those effin bitches tough I'm sure they were super nice. Most where probably college students, teachers and nurses.  However, they all resembled the perfect '80s gal. Thoughts of Kate from Silver Spoons and Blair from Facts of Life come to mind. I hated their damn water bottles and professional mats. I had a Tupperware cup with a cap and a colorful beach towel that said "Florida" in script bubble letters. I hated their little ankle weights. I hated their colorful matching wrist and head sweatbands. I hated every minute of that shiz.

Truth be told, the only thing good about Jazzercise, was that Mom would treat me to a salad at McDonald's afterward. Salads at McDonald's were new back then! If we didn't get a salad, we'd swing by TCBY for frozen yogurt. Spoken like a true chubber, this was the lone highlight of my Jazzercise days.

I should tell my mom Jazzercise is alive and well today in 2010. Maybe she'll get on it! Luckily yoga pants and t-shirts have become the more popular choice of workout attire. Thankfully it appears leotards are a thing of the past. Let's hope they remain an '80s relic.

Thanks for listening and if you're following me, know I love you with all my heart :-)




7 comments:

Kate_at_TAL said...

i'm gonna out myself as said e-buddy to tell you guys that jazzercise is SO not like that anymore! hahaa! (i do have leg weights and a floor mat though)

Anonymous said...

I did Jazzercise. In fact my family would all go together to some rec center and do it on Saturdays

Pandorah's Box said...

I never partook, but I thought everyone looked SSSOOOO cool.

I was young in the eighties and easily impressionable.

P.S- I want the second picture lady to be my mom!

Anonymous said...

Sigh...I took jazzercise classes as a middle aged adult a few years ago for about a minute. It brought back those bad memories from my twenties when I joined a gym and did the Jane Fonda, 'make it burn' aerobics classes to Xanadu and, like you Ally, I was not in neon lycra with leg warmers and head bands but was in sweats and a t shirt. Do you remember the belts with the neon leotards? What was that all about? I never got it.

Aine
http://theevolvingspirit.blogspot.com

Grgg said...

Aww, I love you too Ally! Even though I'm REALLY jealous about the number of followers you have :o)

It seems we're around the same age, so I love reading your trips into nostalgia!

California Keys said...

I never Jazzercized.... But I did Mousercize! We would put on the record, and do exercise with Mickey and the gang.

b-chica said...

Never Jazzercised, but I do remember it as the beginning of aerobics to music. I fondly remember Frozen Yogurt being popular; we had a pay-by-the-ounce, self-serve and top place at the mall (which was almost an hour away). Getting frozen yogurt was the highlight of going to the mall with my mother (my dish was more toppings than yogurt).

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