Born on the 4th of July: Don’t Take Your Independence for Granted

I love my birthday! I couldn’t have picked a better day to be born. Being born on the 4^th of July automatically instilled in me an undeniably independent spirit and a duty to pass it on to others. Being a personal trainer gives me a great platform to encourage others to respect and honor the importance of their own independence. I remind them never to take their health and strength for granted because it is a precious gift.

One of my clients is a 35 year old female who is also fiercely independent, in spite of the fact that she has a neurological disease that is destroying the strength and coordination in her lower body. Her independence is being threatened by the disease, so she’s doing everything she possibly can to strengthen her legs, core and neurological pathways. Her horses are her passion and being able to continue riding her them for as long as possible is her motivation. I’ve already learned so much from her. I’m honored to be her personal trainer and help her maintain her independence.

When you lose your physical independence, through disease, aging, or lack of strength, you lose a large part of yourselves. Aging with strength and grace and defying the stereotypes associated with aging is something I promote and firmly believe in to my core. The aging baby boomer generation has a duty to younger generations to set the example of aging with strength and grace and taking the golden years by storm.

Sadly, many people are putting their own freedom of movement and independence in jeopardy by being obese and unhealthy. When you are obese, you are living in a prison of your own making. The bigger you get and the older you get, the more independence you will lose until you end up helpless in a nursing home. Leading an unhealthy lifestyle is willingly giving up your health and your future independence.

To put it into perspective, people are dying every day fighting for our freedom and independence as a country. Let’s honor these men and women by valuing independence in all of its forms. We have all won the independence lottery simply by being born in the United States. In a sense we were all born on the 4^th of July, but too many of us are putting ourselves in prison by living in unhealthy bodies.

It would be an honor if I can inspire you to take charge of your future, seizing on the independent spirit in the air this holiday weekend. Leave me a comment and let me know if I can help you change your future.