Yesterday, huffing and puffing on a treadmill facing the windows near my gym’s entrance, I watched a woman skip her way down the sidewalk—literally skip, not jog, not run, but skip. Shortly after, she charged through the isles between workout machinery and sweaty gym-goers to a treadmill closest to the windows, and in my direct line of vision. She put on her ear-buds and set the treadmill to a very low setting and, to my surprise, she started dancing!
First it was slow and deliberate dancing—like stretching almost. Then it was salsa and slow merengues, followed by the twist and what looked like a version of the “roger rabbit.” She was really getting into it—turning left and right, her arms fully extended as she moved to the rhythm of music that only she could hear. I silently hoped that no one at the machines next to her would get knocked out. She seemed to care less that everyone appeared to be watching her. She smiled as she danced on the moving floor beneath her feet. And I couldn’t help but smile to watch her—and so did everyone in my row of treadmills. All of us, smiling and jogging simultaneously.
She must know what she’s doing, I thought, because she is seriously toned. If treadmill dancing is all she does, then she’s figured out the workout secret, for reals! I was disappointed when she finally left the cardio area. I glanced at the man running next to me (I think I’d seen him at my spinning class before), who was grinning from ear to ear. We both giggled a bit before he said, “Whatever she’s smoking, I want some of that!” I’m not sure you’d have to smoke anything to have that kind of vibe—confident, graceful, quirky, fun. But I do know that all the smiling while running made me go a little bit faster and it made the time go by in a flash. I hope to witness the dancing treadmill woman again soon.
What a gift to be able to channel good energies to people around you, while just doing your own thing!
