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Exercise As a Form of Love
As the new year starts, here’s to building a fitness foundation with a new inspiration: love for our family.
Building strength isn’t just about personal goals or looking better in the mirror. It’s about being strong enough to be present for those we love. When we stay sturdy and mobile into our later years, we’re not just helping ourselves —we are giving a gift of time to those we love.
Think of a simple moment: a grandchild running across a park yelling “Chase me!” The difference between joining that chase or watching from a bench often comes down to the exercise we do now, this month. Strong bodies mean unspoiled family vacations, not trips cut short by bad backs or weak knees. It means adult children can focus on sharing life’s joys with parents instead of coordinating medical appointments.
When we invest in our strength today, we’re investing in future moments: lifting grandchildren, traveling with partners, dancing at family weddings, or being able to go hiking with our cousins.
If we really, truly care about our families, we will make sure we don’t impose 20 extra years of caretaking on them. And we’ll be healthy enough to play with them instead of sitting in a chair like a lazy monarch.
Where to start?