Exercise buddy

I’ve very rarely belonged to a gym; I work out at home.  I started getting video workouts in the 80s and thanks to my mom I had a pretty good collection. She’d find a new one or get really bored with one she had and she’d send it off to me.

Ben was a little guy then and he was completely fascinated whenever I worked out. He liked it all: free weights, stretching, abdominal work and even aerobics. He really couldn’t do sit-ups very well—his legs would go up even though his tummy muscles seemed quite strong. I always suspected that was because he’s long-waisted but maybe that’s normal for little kids. And I ended up buying a pair of 1/2 pound weights just for him to use.

Well, Ben is all grown up and does his own workouts. In fact, he could run circles around me these days. But don’t worry, I still have a workout buddy: Chloe. Yes, Chloe the cat. She loves to flop down in what I call her dead cat pose whenever I’m on the mat and she’s especially fond of walking under me when I’m in downward dog. She generally purrs the entire time, although she’ll fuss if my movements get in her space. It's simultaneously cute and slightly annoying.