Good Morning, Friends!!
I joined my first gym with my parents when I was fourteen years old. My parents went for a short time, but then it was just them taking me and dropping me off and coming back to pick me up when I was done.
For the last 36 years, I have been working out and exercising on a regular basis. At times encourage my Dad to work out by lifting weights or getting some cardio in. My Dad is 82 years old and not many times has he wanted or enjoyed exercise since I started working out 36 years ago. He would do it for a while, then say I don’t really like to exercise, but I am plenty active enough (what everyone says who doesn’t exercise).
A couple of weeks ago, I went over to my parents’ house for my usual Friday afternoon visit, and as soon as I came in the house, my Dad wanted to show me his treadmill, weights, and rower. I was shocked and wondered what all this was about. He told me he had been working on losing weight and had started walking on his treadmill, and had been reading about the importance of resistance training, so he ordered some weights. He said when the mailman asked about delivering the weights, the mailman said he had a rowing machine if my Dad wanted it. My Dad also showed me the Men’s Health Exercise Bible he had gotten used from Amazon.
We sat down to visit, and he shared with me the googling he had been doing about eating, metabolism, exercise, age, and all the things related. Please understand, for the last almost 20 years, I have been in the health and wellness industry helping clients of all ages to become healthier, stronger, and more cardiovascular fit. My dad didn’t wait for me to come over to tell him what to buy and what to do.
My Dad made a decision that he wanted to be stronger and healthier to be able to take care of my Mom, who gets around slowly and sits all day long. My Dad does everything around the house and is my Mom’s full-time caregiver.
My Dad’s reason to get healthier was bigger than his dislike for exercise.
His reason, my Mom, his wife of over 62 years, is that he wanted to be able to take care for years to come.
My challenge to each of us is to take the actions of an 82-year-old man who dislikes exercise but does it because he has found his why. His why was so big that he took action to learn and to do.
What is your why?
Your why, like my Dad’s, will move you to action.
The next step is up to you.
Your Friend,
Aaron