Are you a conservative or a liberal? Who did you vote for? Are you pro or con? These are questions people ask so they can label you.
He’s a blank; she’s a blank. People seem to need to label people; lump them all into a single category. No one seems to consider people are pro this, but con that, and so on.
I do everything I can to avoid being labeled. I have friends on social media that would swear I’m a liberal. Others would swear I’m a conservative. That’s because people tend to hear something, see something, and then label you as such, and, to them, that’s that.
Except, sadly, it’s not.
We, each of us, are a complicated mix of pros and cons, likes and dislikes, and votes for and against. I wish corporations would understand that.
As soon as AARP found me, they presumed to know my wants and needs. They politely placed me in a group and treated me like every other person in that group.
The same seems to be true for the fitness industry. All of sudden I’m seeing silver.
Centrum Silver vitamins, Silver Support supplements, silver, silver, silver. I wish one of them would be honest and say, Gray.
I receive articles and emails from various reputable health and fitness sources with titles like, Fitness over Forty, The Silver Workout, and, oh, apparently, I’m an “Active Senior.”
I see signs for 55+ Active Senior Communities. I wouldn’t be surprised if I saw a sign at a cemetery that read, Silver Gardens – a community for inactive seniors!
Regardless of your age you may have a physical “issue” like a trick knee, a “bad” back, or a weakened shoulder. That’s normal, but it doesn’t, and shouldn’t, define you.
So, as you live and enjoy life, and exercise and continue to be a badass in whatever sport/activity of your choosing, ignore the naysayers: the ones who want you to fit nicely into their predefined categories. Be mindful of your limitations, of course, but that applies at any age.
Just don’t let advertisers, communities, and organizations tell you how you should do you. I’m mindful of what I can and cannot do. I think twice before doing some things (Rock climbing? No thank you. River rafting, hell yeah! Pickleball? Not yet.), but when someone at the gym remarks, “You’re 60?!” I wear it like a badge of honor; while I can.
Here are a few quotes I’d like you to ponder: “Don’t let what you can’t do interfere with what you can do,” “Age is not a barrier, it’s a limitation you put on your mind,” and “How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you were?”
According to an article from WebMD.com, “You can come up with a million reasons for not being physically active. Some might even be valid. But know this: Stillness is bad. Roughly 3.2 million people die each year because of physical inactivity. Regular exercise, especially among older adults, is critical to good health.”
In that quote you saw the term “older adults.” Know that that is a relative term. To my teenagers, I’m old. To my neighbors, I’m older. To my friends, I’m normal (well, separate story), and to my 92-year-old mother, I’m young; the world is my oyster! (Well, maybe not oyster, shellfish make me gassy).
Here’s one last quote I’d like you to remember: “It’s never too late to be the you that you could’ve been.” Yeah, read it again. “It’s never too late to be the you that you could’ve been.”
If you’re exercising regularly, keep at it; enjoy it! If you’re active, stay active! If you’re not, get up! You don’t get motivated to do something; you do something to get motivated! (Boy, I am full of quotes!)
Oh, look at the time, it’s 4:30. I gotta go; time for dinner!
If you enjoyed reading this, then please visit daybreakpersonalwellness.com where you can find more fitness information, download my workout e-book, listen to my latest podcast on Spotify, and check out a number of personal (and corporate) wellness programs.
Have a fitness question? Send them to me, Your Personal Trainer, at [email protected] and write ‘Ramona Sentinel’ in the subject line.
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