Fitness Friday: What about him/her?

I got a comment recently about Fitness Friday that called to mind the question, "How can I make my wife/ husband/ daughter/ son/ loved one want to be healthy?"

In short, you can't.

Doesn't that make it easier? Think about your own journey towards better health -- nothing happened until YOU decided and made the choice to improve your health and fitness. If you happen to be the wife and mom, you generally have much influence over the food that comes into the house and the menus in general, and you can certainly serve healthy foods. But if you take the "you are on a diet!!" approach -- to either your spouse OR your child, you will simply create an atmosphere of secrecy and mistrust.

A few years ago, Troy had a couple of borderline high blood pressure readings -- one at the dentist and the other... someplace other than a doctors, but I don't remember. Anyway, it really concerned me. I knew enough to know that before a (good) doctor would put him on medication, they would simply encourage him to lose a few pounds and exercise more regularly. I prayed about it -- for about a week -- and finally told him, "I'm concerned about you because I want you to be with me for a long time. I know that I have the knowledge to help you with this if you choose. Let me know what I can do." He listened. And thought. And pondered. For a few days ('cause that's how Troy operates). He finally got me to help him get on an exercise routine and watch his diet more closely. He did lose a few pounds, and he also had a dr. appointment that had a perfectly normal blood pressure reading in the meantime. My concern for him could have easily turned me into a controlling, evil woman, but that would have only succeeded in forcing him to hide things from me. And I absolutely don't want that -- from my husband or children!

Actually, that is one of the reasons I started Fitness Friday. I have several friends who have health concerns that could be addressed by losing a few pounds, a healthier diet, and some regular exercise. There is nothing I can do to change their lives or health for them -- it must be their decision. So I toss this information out here. The only person it's affecting is me -- because I'm doing the only thing I know to do. The world isn't at a shortage of information about how to solve our health problems due to poor diet and inactivity.

So, I said many more words to say (again) you can't do it FOR anyone else. You can do it for you, take time for you, model good health habits, and pray.

Take care of you, stay healthy, and be fit!