It is 32 X 17, and I think I just need to get in a bit better upper body shape. I hike, and walk 3-5 miles every day, but need to do some upper body strengthening and lose some weight. Was kind of hoping paddling would help with upper body, as I am not a big fan of non-entertaining exercise..lol.

It sounds like you are in pretty good shape, and keeping at it, which is good.
It's a huge practical and safety advantage to be able to get in a kayak 'butt-first', but the muscles to pull your knees 'up' toward the head aren't used much. Try lifting your foot up on to the bathroom vanity (plant lightly!) when you are shaving....
32" should be long enough to do a 'butt-first, then feet' entry, if the seat is not too far forward. It seems intuitive to slouch to get the feet in, but it doesn't usually make things easier IME. When entering, putting your 'first' foot on the pedal can help prevent slipping forward.

BTW, lessons on forward stroke technique/mechanics are a great idea if you want to work on your core fitness via paddling. Most paddlers who haven't worked on forward stroke with some coaching tend to be 'arm-paddlers' vs 'rotation & leg drive'. (I'm working on this, but have a way to go.....)

If you want to 'talk' about classes or non-building paddling stuff, feel free to contact me via WestCoastPaddler and we can go from there. WCP is a great resource for PNW paddling, if you haven't already found your way there.