Move Your Body

Here’s a heavy hitter thought…if you do not move your body, your body will not move for you when you want it to.

“Exercise is done against one’s wishes and maintained only because the alternative is worse.”

-George A. Sheehan

I’m no fitness fanatic nor am I in the best shape of my life. So, I’m not here to preach to you about what you should or should not do. I will tell you what – I woke up on this side of 38 and my left hip hurt. Yes, I have a toddler who weighs over 30 pounds. I carry him on my left side a lot because he refuses to walk and carrying him is easier. I also have a work chair that’s kind of uncomfortable and leans a little bit and I have to compensate for it.

Those are excuses. The real truth is that I do not move enough.

At this point in my life, I’m not exercising enough. I used to play soccer, rugby, and softball and I trained in karate a lot. I’m too stagnant now, I spend a lot of time in front of my computer. Unfortunately, I am unable to take a lot of breaks.

There’s this cracking whip of deadlines. Producers demand it fast and now and “hurry we are on a deadline” and “we can’t take a time out because there is no time to spare”.

I’ve gained weight and that takes a toll on the body too. Try and think about what is easier for the hips, legs and feet to do: carry 150 lbs a far distance or carry 200 pounds a short distance?

I do not want to be the sick, elderly woman in late life who has a whole host of health problems because I didn’t take care of myself. I do not want to burden my children with diabetes, heart disease and all of those other health problems that come with being obese. Certainly, I don’t want to be a walking pharmacy having to rely on handfuls of pills just to be alive every day. I have a father who is like that and to this day refuses to understand that he is further reducing his quality of life by the amount of alcohol he consumes. Won’t help yourself? Tough, deal with the consequences.

And so, I will move my body.

The fear of ever possibly having to place the responsibility of my physical care on my children in 30 years is huge. I want to be the fiercely independent, spritely woman until I’m 102.