Chewing the Fat on Skinny: Because I Can

Today’s post is thanks in part to Whoopi Goldberg who helped me to view being active in a different way. Last week on The View, they were talking about smoking. Someone asked Whoopi why after smoking since her teen years she finally decided to quit. She went on to talk about a video of a young boy fighting the crippling and terminal illness of cystic fibrosis. She said (indirect quote) that in one part of the video he said he just wanted to be able to breathe again. That was Whoopi’s a-ha. It was then she realized she was abusing her lungs when some people would do anything to have healthy lungs.

Then came my a-ha. There is absolutely no reason why I cannot get my body moving for 30 (or more) minutes a day. No reason and no excuse.

For a long time, I had the definition of CAN on my desk, and then I gave the print to someone else.

Can- verb \kən, ˈkan also ˈken; dial ˈkin\

a: to know how to

b: to be physically or mentally able to

c: to be permitted by conscience or feeling to

d: to be made possible or probable by circumstances to

e: to be inherently able or designed to

I can move my body every single day. What a gift. I have a healthy brain, heart, lungs, kidneys, limbs. I can run, jump, lunge, walk, dance. I’m not wheel chair or bed bound. I have all of my working extremities. It’s time for me to get moving, because I can.

I’ve allowed the winter (being stuck inside) and a few injuries to distract me from my moving daily mission. I am active, but not every day. And (don’t tell anyone), I actually like to exercise. Yuck! I know!

I think it probably comes from my worst year of trigeminal neuralgia when I was often bed bound. When you’re not able to move, even your head, it’s all you want to do. It also comes from the idea that movement= medicine. I feel better when I move more. That may seem logical but after a long day of work and other Mom/Wife/Friend/Volunteer activities, my fitness can come in last.

I want to get back to viewing exercise as a choice not a chore. I want to get back to scheduling activity into my day as a non-negotiable appointment. I’m worth it and prolonging my life, that’s worth it too.

How about these reasons for moving more? Moving more:

Reduces the risk of dying prematurely.
Reduces the risk of heart disease.
Reduces the risk of developing diabetes.
Reduces the risk of developing high blood pressure.
Helps reduce blood pressure in people who already have high blood pressure.
Reduces the risk of developing colon cancer.
Reduces feelings of depression and anxiety
Helps control weight.
Helps build and maintain healthy bones, muscles, and joints.
Helps older adults become stronger and better able to move about without falling.
Promotes psychological well-being.

Convinced yet? Here’s a picture of me climbing to the top of the Hole in the Rock in Arizona. I need to remember how wonderful that felt, to be healthy enough to give it a whirl. Disclaimer: I panicked half way up (I’m terrified of heights), froze like Spiderman glued to the rock, and slowly worked my way back down. It’s not a fail, it’s a win because I went for it and next time I’ll get a few steps closer to where I want to be. That’s the thing about goals, they can change depending on our circumstances and we need to be OK with it as long we we keep moving forward.