Fitness Friday - 5 reasons to build fitness into your life

Reflection of a mother son race to the finish

Early morning before the birds chirp and the sun makes its appearance, a group of ladies show up at the women’s fitness gym. The common thread shared by all, is the goal of a healthy lifestyle.

In light of the warm weather, we begin the morning with a warm-up outside. Sprints were the flavor of the day. We lined across the empty parking lot, in a read-set position (however that looked for each person).

Fingertips on the ground, butt in the air, I was ready. The count began, 1-2…3. I took off like a race horse out of the starting gate. At least that’s how it was in my mind. When I looked around, I was at the back of the pack. And that is why you focus on YOUR personal best.

There is a reason that horses wear blinders during a race. It is to keep the focused and on course. When you establish a fitness routine, compete against yourself, not someone else. We all exercise for different reasons, but here I’ll share reasons fitness is important.

Fitness is important for Activities for Daily Living (ADL). Here are 5 reasons how...

1.      Mowing the lawn/shoveling snow – you need strength in your arms

2.      Reaching for something on a shelf – shoulder strength, arms

3.      Getting dressed – something as simple as this we take for granted, until we are impaired in some way. If you’ve ever had a broken arm, leg or shoulder pain, etc., it makes getting dressed a challenge

4.      Getting in and out of a bath tub/shower  -  you need to be able to bend, squat, lift your legs

5.      Carrying groceries – how about that 24 pack case of water you like to have on hand? You might have to carry in from the car to your kitchen.

Bonus

6.      Carrying a purse/laptop bag – you need shoulder strength

Get up, get moving, and build fitness into your life. What would you add to the list of reasons to build fitness into your life?