THE FOOTNOTES

ONE ADVANTAGE OF MEMBERSHIP AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER IS THAT YOU GET ADVICE FROM KNOWLEDGEABLE PEOPLE. FOR EXAMPLE, TAKE THE FITNESS DIRECTOR, ROBIN. ROBIN TOLD NOONSKI THAT OLDER PEOPLE NEED TO IMPROVE THEIR STRENGTH IN ORDER TO IMPROVE THEIR BALANCE. AS IS KNOWN, A PROBLEM WITH OLD PEOPLE IS THAT THEY LOSE THEIR BALANCE AND FALL DOWN, AND THINGS BREAK. THERE ARE EVEN SPECIAL PROGRAMS TO TEACH OLD TIMERS ABOUT THIS HAZARD. NOONSKI HAD SOME FAIRLY RECENT EXPERIENCE IN FALLING OFF A TWO FOOT LADDER, AND BREAKING HIS PELVIS, SO WAS EAGER TO FOLLOW ROBIN'S ADVICE AND START POMPING OP ON THE EXERCISE MACHINERY. ROBIN PRESCRIBED 7 MACHINES, AND NOONSKI DISCOVERED THAT HE HAD TO SET THE RESISTANCE WEIGHT AT AROUND TEN POUNDS TO START. THE LACK OF STRENGTH AT THE START WAS SURPRISING. AT FIRST, NOONSKI FELT A LITTLE INADEQUATE WHEN PREPARING TO USE THE MACHINES. THE PREVIOUS USER ALWAYS SEEMED TO BE KING KONG WHO HAD IT SET FOR TWO HUNDRED POUNDS, OR SO. NOONSKI WOULD SLYLY ADJUST THE WEIGHT TO HIS LEVEL OF STRENGTH AND GO TO IT. AT THIS WRITING NOONSKI IS UP TO FORTY POUNDS ON EACH MACHINE. HE IS NOT ABOVE RESETTING THE MACHINE TO A HUNDRED FIFTY OR SO BEFORE LEAVING SO AS NOT TO LEAVE THE IMPRESSION THAT NOONSKI IS NOT SO TOUGH AFTER ALL. IN ADDITION, NOONSKI COMPLAINS THAT HE HAS TO SLOW DOWN BECAUSE THE MACHINE S OVER HEAT, BUT NOBODY BELIEVES HIM. PROGRESS HAS BEEN NOTED. IN FACT, ONLY LAST WEEK, NOONSKI APPROACED ROBIN TO INQUIRE IF HE SHOULD TAPER OFF SOMEWHAT, BECAUSE HIS NOTICEABLE BULKING UP MIGHT DRAW THE OBVIOUS COMPARISON TO SCHWARTZENEGGER, AND NOONSKI MIGHT BE DRAFTED TO RUN FOR GOVERNOR. ROBIN WASN'T SURE.