Cool for Kupuna is a weekly show on Sundays at 5:30pm on KITV2. I don’t get tv stations but I can watch past episodes on their CoolforKupuna.com website.

Sue Jorgenson is a returning local (Kaimuki!) gal who interviews, visits, and tries all kinds of interesting things around the island that us old mature people would enjoy. I recently met her at the Hawaii Potters Guild when she had a lesson in wheel throwing and panned over the hand building area (where my good friend Esther Nowell used to teach and still plays on Mondays.). This episode will air on Sunday, March 24, 2024 on KITV2.

Her January 14, 2024 episode featured Kaimuki (for the 3rd time) and featured W&M Hamburger and Jazzercise at the Kaimuki YMCA. I watched it, saw seniors moving and moving slowly, and I thought to myself, “Self, you can do this. You really DO need to exercise!” So I joined the YMCA on a monthly basis ($59/mo), signed up for Jazzercise ($15/mo) and went to my first class yesterday morning at 8:00. I figured earlier is better so I can eat breakfast after class instead of moving around with food in the tummy and then having to go. You know what I mean by “go.”

Well, there were some people younger than me, a few that were older, the room was air conditioned and totally not crowded and I was raring to go! (NOT that kind of “go”, but the other kind of “GO!”)

It started off slow – tap, tap, double tap tap, and arms up, up, sway, sway, stretch, shift – nice and easy for the warm up. I liked it! Except it then started adding more steps and different songs and a faster tempo, more steps, slide, ball change, kick, kick, turn, arms up, over, out, all at the same time as legs and feet moving to the beat – and I was SO out of my comfort zone of being a couch potato. I had to sit it out when they grabbed their weights and did a couple more songs and routines. I wanted to go home already. I joined back into the group for the “cool down” – my favorite part.

It wasn’t fun yet. It was mental and physical torture because I didn’t know the steps and my body was not used to an hour of intentional movement. That Cool for Kupuna video (shown below) slowed down the participants in class so I wasn’t expecting that my heart would race, my head swimming with frustration, and me looking like the oldest one there because of being two beats behind them and confused.

Oprah Winfrey, in her book “Things That I Am Sure Of” spoke about determination. If you determine something, the universe and all the powers that be will conspire to make it come true.

And so, as I took my break sitting on a chair and watching the enthusiastic teacher (Caroline Dang) and her devoted students moving and grooving to the upbeat music, I said to myself, “Self, I am determined to become really good at Jazzercise – and I will dance again.”

And so, I will continue.

Update: I went to my 2nd Jazzercise class but this time I ate my regular breakfast of oatmeal, yogurt and coffee a bit earlier than usual. Was able to “go” before class and showed up a little bit late. And I did it! I wasn’t feeling woozy or weak, but still out of sinc with the dance steps. I didn’t do the weights but I didn’t sit it out. It’s happening and I am so glad for it! I guess I should not go on an empty stomach.