We sure can come up with the excuses not to exercise:
- “I’ve got a family to take care of…”
- “I’m too tired after work…”
- “At my age, it’s too late…”
- “I’ve got this medical condition…”
- “I’m not a morning person…”
- “People will make fun of me…”
- “It’s too hot (or too cold, too windy, too rainy)…”
While some excuses may have merit (such as thunderstorms and dealing with a medical condition), I believe it’s our insecurities, self-consciousness and other mental hang ups that create them.
I know. I’ve done it.
And — dammit — I still do it!
But every once in awhile, I’m reminded about my freedom to pursue my athletic dreams and health goals here in the U.S.
Too many girls and women around the world don’t have these life-enhancing opportunities. Many are are prevented — socially, legally and culturally — from engaging in one of the most basic of human activities.
Back in July 2012, I first read of 800-meter track runner Sarah Attar and judo competitor Wodjan Ali Seraj Abdulrahim Shahrkhani who would be the first women ever to represent Saudi Arabia in a Summer Olympic Games. Attar, with dual U.S.-Saudi citizenship, continues to inspire thousands of girls in Saudi Arabia as she races in the U.S. She recently signed a sponsorship deal with Oiselle, a women’s running apparel company.
I also remember a time when girls couldn’t participate in school sports because programs didn’t exist (hence the passage of Title IX in 1972).
Sometimes it takes more than a inspirational quote or a doctor’s warning to get us moving. Sometimes, we have to remember we can.
