For years, people, those of you who know my IT FIGURES TV show and fitness videos have been nagging me to do an update on the old TV gang who exercised with me on screen for decades. It seems to me this is the perfect forum for that. I can’t promise that I can track them all down, but I can likely find those about whom you ask most often.
I communicate with Renee and Lonny regularly, and they are the two who generate the most inquiries. So, let’s start with them. I have submitted a list of questions to them on your behalf and asked them to be honest, not modest.
Here is my question and answer dialog with Lonny Balbi.
Lonny BalbiMy fitness routine has changed a bit over the years. I came from the days of high-impact aerobics, then high-energy step classes. Now I am teaching a lot of indoor spin (bike) classes, with some outdoor running and gym workouts thrown in for variety. I still ride my bicycle to work almost every day of the year!
Is there any exercise you can no longer enjoy and really miss?
I quite miss the high-impact aerobic classes. It’s not so much that I cannot do them, but that they are no longer popular! I loved the pounding beat of the music while going crazy with a room full of fanatics.
What are you doing now in the field of family law?
I have had my own family law firm since 1988. We are known as a “boutique” firm with four lawyers practicing exclusively in the area of family law. We have developed systems and expertise in an area that affects so many people.
Related to my business is an interest I have in law reform and mediation. We are constantly striving to change laws and practices to make family law more user friendly and understandable. We also want to reduce conflict for the sake of children. That’s where mediation comes in.
What issues concern you most in Canadian or American law?
I like complicated and intellectually stimulating issues. Recently, Canada had very difficult laws and procedures in relation to spousal support. I was lucky enough to be on the federally appointed advisory committee which implemented several changes to this important area of the law.
On both sides of the border, we all struggle with issues surrounding children. When parents break up, the children are often caught in the middle and we are always looking for ways to both reduce conflict and help children through this difficult process.
Mediation is one of the systems we use to help conflicted people resolve their disputes. A mediator is a third party neutral person who helps the spouses achieve a constructive settlement following separation. Related to this concept is the exciting area of collaborative family law. CFL, as it is known, is a relatively new idea that encourages respectful communication and negotiation in an effort to resolve outstanding issues. I have really enjoyed this area as well.
What is your proudest accomplishment of the last decade?
I have done lots of things that I am very proud of. But number one on my list is a small project I started a few years ago which is really gaining momentum. Each Christmas, I go to Mexico. Yes, it is a holiday, but on Christmas day I go to several orphanages in Mazatlan to give the children Christmas presents. The first year, I went to one orphanage and it was fantastic. The next year, I was able to go to three orphanages. Last year, I visited four orphanages. Each year, I am able to see more children and give them better gifts. Friends and family have offered to help out; but this is my own little project that gives me more satisfaction than anything else I could do at this important time of year.
What is your greatest pleasure these days?
I still enjoy my work very much. I get a lot of pleasure out of seeing someone who comes to see me in a very broken state, and by the end of the process, they are a much stronger, better person. I love the feeling of having helped someone to be stronger.
What concerns you most about our world today?
When I read in the newspaper about countries that are devastated and people are dying daily, it always affects me when I look around my life and how I have so much in comparison. We all need to do more to help those less fortunate than us. That could include helping local organizations all the way to assisting with world relief organizations.
Do you have any advice you'd like to give other baby boomers?
Fifty is the new 30! Aging is an attitude, and not a chronology. Keep active, and have lots of fun.
Do you think about what you would like to be doing ten years from now?
I have lots of interests. I would like to continue to work in my law firm, but perhaps at a reduced workload. I would like to focus on other charitable events. I might do some public speaking engagements and some consulting. There are just so many opportunities.
