07/03/2026
I'll never make this mistake again!
Most of you know that I'm a bit of a fitness addict. Ok, a full-blown fanatic. I've been power walking every single day for over 44 years and have logged over 180,000 miles. (Yes, I'm even walking in this brutal heat wave!) Twenty-five years ago, I also began strength training and yoga. I decided to post my fitness journey, as a 77 year old woman with zero health issues, on a fb group I recently joined called Over 50 Bodybuilding and Fitness. My hope was to inspire others over 50 that it's never too late to get young again.
My routine is up at 5:15 AM, power walk 3-6 miles daily. Three times per week I do 100 pushups, curls OR lateral side raises using 10-lb dumbbells; 20 pull-ups, 60 sit ups, 15 squats, 40 lunges, 10 devils presses, & planks; 20 triceps dips with 10 lb weights & more. Yoga 4X per week, plus a wobble board & inversion table. I work out 1 ½ - 2 ½ hours each day.
Along with my routine, I posted a shabby looking photo of myself working out in my unfinished basement dressed in, well, definitely not Kate Hudson celebrity workout gear. And to top it off, my hair was completely disheveled. So many who post in this group are serious body builders and certainly dress the part: hair, make-up, wardrobe, professional gym. Not me. This is the real me: messy but healthy.
I also added some simple suggestions for anyone wanting to reclaim their health through exercise. (I love to share with others what has worked for me.) I was hoping to get maybe 40 or 50 likes. But no. Within 15 minutes there were over 500 likes and climbing faster than I could respond to. Within the hour it was over 1,000. Yikes! By the time I went to bed it had climbed to over 2,000. Oh my gosh, what have I done! How can I possibly read and respond to each of these posts? I awoke the following morning to over 5,000 and counting. I frantically read and replied to as many as I could but my poor computer kept freezing. My mind was frazzled so I took a break and went to bed.
I awoke the next morning to over 7,000! How can I possibly reply to everyone? But they were so kind. I felt they deserved to be acknowledged. I spent the better part of yesterday trying to catch up. As of today, there are over 8,400 responses and likes. While I set out to inspire others, and their responses indicated I did, many shared their stories of overcoming enormous obstacles far greater than any of mine which deeply move and inspired me. Some even brought me to tears.
When we share not just our stories of success but more importantly our stories of heartache and loss, of setbacks and unrealized dreams, when we bear our souls exposing our mistakes and shame, when we tell our stories of our determination to overcome challenges and realize our dreams, we never know who or how many we'll inspire. And along the way, we may also find ourselves being deeply inspired by the triumphant victories of others.
Never be ashamed nor embarrassed by your failures. Never hide your messy story nor your scars from prior battles. Wear them proudly. They are the testimony of your fortitude. They unite us on a deeply personal level and restore hope for our own futures and for the future of all humanity.
