Monday Motivation: No Legs, No Problem
I’ve heard every excuse in the book:
“I have bad knees.”
“My feet hurt”
“I have weak muscles”
“I suffer from sciatica”
“I have a bad case of Plantar Fasciitis”
“I have arthritis”
” I am too old”
“My body hurts”
Most people think any one of those things are a pretty good excuse to get out of “P.E. Class”, but what if you had ALL those problems? Gail Griesemer does. Born with Spina Bifida, Gail has damaged nerves and muscles that prevent her from walking, much less exercising – or so you would think.
If you come to Max Fitness on a regular basis, you’ve probably seen her rolling her wheel chair down the side walk and back, doing laps for her trainer, Jack Harris. She works out on weights to strengthen her upper body and, despite bad hips, ankles that are surgically fused together, and no feeling in her feet, she even does walking exercises to strengthen her legs. If that wasn’t impressive enough, she also takes yoga. Yep, she attends yoga classes regularly to keep her body flexible and her mind stress-free.
Gail refuses to roll over and let her body tell her what she can and cannot do. There is no one to motivate her. No one to pick her up and take her to the gym. There is no one making her do this. Gail decided she HAS to do this to be as physically fit as she possibly can. If she wants the best life possible, she knows this is what she has to do – and it’s likely, she’s not much different from you.
Whether you battle fat or bad joints, you have your own set of issues. We all do – AND, there is no one that will make you do this. YOU have to do it. YOU have to decide you are worth it. YOU have to keep showing up day after day – not because you FEEL like it, but because it’s what you MUST do to have the BEST LIFE you can have. No one can do it for you. Maybe you’ve been making excuses for a long time to help release yourself, and let yourself off the hook. Well, I’m putting you back on the hook. I’m not letting you believe that it’s too late, you’re too fat or too out of shape. I’m not going to let you say you don’t have time or can’t afford it. All your excuses are lame in comparison to people like Gail.
If you’ve been a victim of a self-inflicted pity party, STOP! Quit feeling sorry for yourself, and get off your butt and get to the gym! Remember Gail, and remember if she can do it, you can too.
Look for her story in the YourNews section of the Press Journal this week for more inspiration and motivation. Thank you Gail for letting me share your story and for inspiring everyone around you. We are so thankful for members like you who make a difference! Join Gail at Max Fitness Club to start your fitness journey today!
Inspire Someone:
Bonnie Pfiester
Owner of Lift Vero and motivational "pfitness, pfood and pfaith" blogger in Vero Beach, Florida.
7 Comments
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Michelle
I had a big bicycle accident when I was at Varsity 20 years ago. During the recovery all I could think about was how much I’d love to be riding, how I’d give anything to have over those days when I was too lazy to ride, or just to be able to run across campus if I felt like it. I vowed then and there to never take my body for granted again. I was already active at that stage, but I promised myself to take it to a new level. And I have, my life has revolved around fitness, exercise and an active lifestyle. I now have that to thank for being able to do as I please physically, in my forties, nothing holds me back but my own fear.
I use the anniversary of the bike accident to remind myself and improve on what I promised myself every year (because I do still fall off the wagon, but mainly diet wise). Following inspirational ppl like you, and Steve, also really helps! 😉
Main lesson: Never take a healthy body for granted!
Jody R. Goldenfield
Love! So many out there that can’t even walk or can only do so much – we should cherish what we can do! 🙂
Bonnie Pfiester
Totally! She actually said “I don’t focus on what I can’t do, I focus on what I CAN do”. So cool!