Dancing With Fruitcake

Category: Healthier Me

  • A Scam, Maybe?

    A person exercising on a fitness machine that allows for adjustable incline positions, demonstrating the 90-degree angle setting. The setting features two additional graphics displaying 60-degree and 30-degree angles for workout options. The background includes a well-lit room with windows and furniture.

    Remember the Aense Pro-Squatter I mentioned in my last post, My AquaFit Adventure (And Why I Ghosted the Pool)? That spiffy-looking piece of equipment popped up in my Facebook feed and seemed perfect for getting some low-impact exercise without destroying my arthritic knees.

    I got excited, placed the order, and waited… and waited… and waited some more.The payment cleared my bank in a day or two, but the package never shipped. I gave it extra time thinking it might be coming from overseas, but after weeks of silence I started digging. Turns out, plenty of other buyers had the exact same experience — paid and never received a thing. I emailed support. No response. Tried their chat bot, which asked me to pay $5 just to forward my message to the “right person.” Hard pass. A couple more emails later, their support links were disabled and the whole company seemed to have vanished. Classic scam.Thankfully, my bank took the claim seriously and issued a full refund right away.

    So instead, I went to Amazon and picked up the Sunny Health & Fitness Smart Heavy Duty Row-N-Ride Squat Assist Trainer.

    The Sunny Row-N-Ride arrived in a thousand pieces, but I was determined to put it together myself. Three hours later, just as I was about to attach the seat, I realized I had assembled the entire frame backwards. Oops.

    Thankfully, I found a 5-minute assembly video, made the corrections, and had it fully built in no time. By then I was already wiped out, but I climbed on anyway.

    First attempt? Just five repetitions. Not five minutes — five single reps. My body was like, “Nope, not today.” Before bed I pushed through 20 more, moving slowly and protecting my knees the whole time. When I woke up this morning… my knees actually felt stronger and hurt noticeably less. My thighs were a little sore (in that good way), so I hopped back on and knocked out 40 repetitions. Let me remind you — I’m 67 years old with arthritic knees. The fact that I could do this at all, and feel better afterward, is kind of amazing.The machine comes with a free app full of guided video workouts (Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced) plus a community section where you can connect with other users.

    I’m genuinely impressed. This really is a full-body workout — my thighs and abs are already letting me know they’ve been worked!

    I’m starting with a goal of just five solid minutes, but I plan to build up to at least 30 minutes per session, three or more times a week. After the Aense Pro-Squatter scam, this Sunny Row-N-Ride from Amazon feels like a real win. Here’s the little beast all set up and ready for action:

    A rowing exercise machine positioned on a hardwood floor, featuring a seat, foot pedals, and ergonomic handlebars, with a cozy living room environment in the background.

    Anyone else using one of these? How’s your experience been? I’d love to hear your tips!

  • My AquaFit Adventure (And Why I Ghosted the Pool)

    A large group of elderly adults participating in a water aerobics class in a swimming pool, all smiling and waving at the camera.

    In my last post, I proudly declared I had become “one of those people” — the kind who actually goes to the gym and does AquaFit. Well… let me tell you how that worked out.

    For over four months, I showed up two to three times a week like a champ. And honestly? The results were fantastic. I lost weight faster than I expected, my knees hurt way less, my muscles felt toned, and I just generally had more pep in my step. I actually looked forward to it. Who was this person?!

    Then the universe decided to throw me a curveball.

    Two nearby gyms closed their pools for maintenance, and suddenly all those regulars flooded into our pool. Some days there were over 60 seniors packed in at once. The water looked like a crowded cruise ship pool on a hot day. That’s when I discovered something about myself:

    I might be a germaphobe.

    Twice I walked up to the edge and the water was milky. Not “slightly cloudy” — straight-up gross. I’m guessing it was a delightful cocktail of everyone’s lotion, sunscreen, deodorant, and who-knows-what-else. Another day there were mysterious little floaty things brushing against my legs. I nearly levitated out of the pool.

    After that, I couldn’t unsee (or unfeel) it. Every time I thought about getting in, my brain helpfully supplied images of 60+ seniors happily peeing in the water like it was their own private ocean. And that was it. I was done.

    Now just the thought of the pool makes my skin crawl. I’m genuinely disappointed in myself for not being able to push through it, because I really did love the workout. But here we are.

    So I’ve been hunting for a good full-body, low-impact option that won’t murder my knees. This little gadget popped up in my Facebook feed, and the ad promised it’s joint-friendly. I ordered it from Aense nine days ago… and it still hasn’t shipped. (I’m side-eyeing them pretty hard right now.)

    A woman exercising on an adjustable fitness machine in a bright room, demonstrating different angles of use.

    The Germ Lesson I Learned:

    I can live with my own mess. My house is far from spotless, and that’s fine — I just hire someone to help keep it civilized. But other people’s germs? Hard pass. Apparently I have very clear boundaries when it comes to shared bodily fluids in a giant public soup.

    Has anyone else had their fitness routine derailed by something like this? Or found a great knee-friendly workout they actually stuck with? I’d love to hear your suggestions while I wait for this mystery package to finally show up.

    Stay tuned — I’ll let you know how it goes!