Mrs. Philpot, my high school team tennis coach in the ‘80s, used to threaten to make me run laps around the court if I didn’t move faster. She also liked to say that I was going to trip over my hoop earrings, which were as big as my head. When I was a child, one of our coaches at the Memphis Center of Gymnastics and Ballet used to chase me down the runway toward the vault and tell me to pretend that she was a rabid dog, to get me to move faster. Historian Will Durant said, “No man who is in a hurry is quite civilized”; this is my motto.

This is not to say that I don’t believe in the mental and physical benefits of exercise. But I walk, instead of run, and I don’t participate in exercise that I don’t enjoy.

I’ve been going to the Push Pilates studio at 1882 Union — near the palm reading place and across from the West Precinct — for the last six months. Joseph Pilates, an athlete who was born in Germany in 1880, created a series of exercises that focuses on strengthening core muscles, stretching and breathing. (To see pictures of Joseph Pilates, the equipment he used and for a more in depth explanation of Pilates, go here: pilatesmethodalliance.org.

When I can’t make it to class, I pull out my mat, magic circle, roller and exercise ball and do Pilates in my kitchen, although I suggest first taking classes from trained Pilates instructors, in order to learn the techniques correctly. When you finish, you stand up straighter and feel relaxed and full of energy. It’s addictive.

And it’s therapeutic. Push Pilates is offering a “Divorcees Bootcamp: Pilates Therapy”. They claim on their Website that the price is equivalent to 3 hours lawyer’s fees.

My mom, the tennis coach, always says that spending time on the court is better than Lakeside and cheaper. What do you think?