Thursday, August 20, 2009

Role Models

Months after reading this and mentioning it here, I am still in love with this woman. She is living proof of where we can all be at 83. My favorite yoga instructor in Ann Arbor was 72, and his busy schedule included teaching at least 4 hours of yoga every week.

At last year's Run Thru Hell (Hell, MI), I was talking to a man who had run every Detroit Marathon since the race started in 1978. More notable than his level of physical fitness was the level of happiness radiating out of this guy. He was having a great time doing what he loved to do.

That's something we can lose sight of. It's not totally about being a size 2. It's about being mindful, taking care of yourself, and having fun while doing it. Thank goodness there's a whole generation (or 2) of people still around to show us the way.

Going to workout now.

5 comments:

Danielle said...

YES! I think about this all the time. There are videos of "urban ninja" or "free running"... those are my ultimate fitness dreams... too many action movies like the Bourne Identity/ The Transporter... anyway. I would love to be able to do that kind of stuff, and I just dream of being free to enjoy my body in any way I choose. It isn't about a size, but a new way of exploring physical freedom!

P/F said...

Yeah, it's easy to be bummed by the routine of exercise. But I'm really going to focus on functional fitness and having fun this week.

Saw that you hurt your foot and are on restriction :( Here's to having fun at the pool!

Levi said...

That picture and article of the granny doing yoga is nutty. I could not imagine holding my bod up by my hands/wrists (arm still on the mend).

But I'd still like to be my own role model.
Dammit.

P/F said...

Most times when I try that move, I bonk my nose off of the floor or at very least spend a couple of minutes bobbing up and down on the tips of my toes.

My lack of broken bones leaves me with no excuse to not try to get that posture right once and for all.

katieo said...

LOVE stuff like this. Thanks for sharing.