Get in Shape Girl!

Do you remember Mousercise?
I can recall a time when I would get that from the library and come home and stand in front of the TV wearing my favorite leotard and dancin' right along.
I was also a big fan of this:

Anyone remember they sold those "accessories" to "enhance" your "routine"? I think I just liked it because I could wear a leotard and carry a pretty satiny ribbon attached to a wand and prance around with it until my mom told me to stop swinging that damn thing around the house. I remember feeling so stifled by that at the time but now that I am a mom I totally recognize why a child with an extremely long ribbon on a wand that is meant to be used in large swinging motions would be a bad idea. A very bad idea.
Anyway, I think my mom had been feeling bad about that when she signed me up at Women's Workout World. It really is the ultimate trip back to 1980s fitness. Not only is everything highlighted with teal and purple neon (seriously, everything- around the mirrors, in the locker room anyplace you could put a neon bulb, it is there), but there are also women who wear leotards and biker shorts without a hint of irony.
My friend Karen is also a member at W3 so we decided to go to a class together this morning. She opted for "Step Jam" which didn't thrill me, but I am determined to give W3 a shot. So we go and get set up in the back and start this class. I am not too proud to admit that the 60+ year old woman in the front row wearing her bright blue lace up the back thong leotard and black biker shorts totally kicked my ass. Not in the endurance department, I have that one down, but in the coordination department. I am screwed when it comes to ever having to keep a beat, nor am I coordinated enough to step-touch in any formation. Karen has a similar deficiency in this department so she just went up and down the stair for the entire 45 minutes while I foolishly tried to keep up (it was so ugly, you don't even know).
As the class was ending people were coming in for the next class and I saw at least 3 more leotards. Seriously? I thought that if you were over the age of 15 and not a ballet dancer of any form you could not wear one after 1990. Am I wrong? Do people wear leotards at your gym? Biker shorts and a sports bra are acceptable, but a leotard? Really? I used to love them when I was a kid, but even I gave that up.
At any rate I may have sucked at step class I know I can dominate in the belly dancing for fitness class tomorrow night. I miss my old gym, a lot, but I am determined to embrace the 80s. I am off to shop for a leotard....