Just Wake Up, Pray Up, and Dance!

May was Senior Fitness Month and throughout May I had the pleasure of meeting, either in person or by phone, some incredible ladies that may be put in the senior category according to some age range checkbox on a form, but senior is the last thing that would come to mind when you meet them. Please don't misunderstand me, there is nothing wrong with the term "senior," and Senior Fitness has really taken off in recent years, it's more how senior is sometimes portrayed in our culture. Let's face it, when someone says the word senior it often brings to mind an image that doesn't match the 60-year-old+ powerhouses that we interact with in our everyday lives. The ladies that I encountered during May are just getting going in life. They know the truth that you don't lose your purpose as you get older, you just know better how to walk in that purpose. You don't lose your passion either.

I was at an event in May and we had just finished presenting Shazzy Fitness on the stage when an elegant, beautiful woman came up and introduced herself. After giving me a bit of background, she grabbed my hand and whispered a powerful spoken word about being a dancer (I hope to share that poem with you soon) and the words that she spoke gave me chills and brought tears to my eyes. She had stopped dancing for a period of time, and wondered if it was too late to return, but she realized that everything in her needed to dance. She had always been a dancer and she will always be a dancer. She is currently working out her schedule to go through a Shazzy Fitness training to become an instructor and I can't wait for her to share that passion with her students!

Another Lovely in her late 50s that I met by phone is getting back into fitness. She shared with me that she is at her healthiest when she uses defensive prayers. Not only do these prayers help to conquer cravings, but these prayers also keep obstacles out of her way and allow her the time and energy to operate in her calling. Another woman that I met via email is in her early 60s, and her family is a little more spread out and now is the perfect time for her to return back to her fitness instructor profession by teaching Shazzy Fitness. We are so excited about having her join the Shazzy Fitness Family!

A common denominator among all of these ladies is that they are far from slowing down, in fact, they are ramping up! When I was doing a little research during Senior Fitness Month, I couldn't help but look up information about the 80+ year old female body builder who is now known worldwide. Her name is Ernestine Shepherd, and she has a body that most 20 year olds would love to achieve. I was amazed to learn that she didn't get started until she was 56 years old. She explained that it wasn't easy, before her sister passed away she worked out with her sister and it was her sister who kept her motivated.

After her sister passed away she could have given up completely, but she used that heartbreak to propel her forward and work out not only for herself but to honor her sister's memory. Ernestine developed the mantra Determined, Dedicated, Disciplined to be Fit. According to Thornsby.com, Ernestine Shepherd starts her day at 3 am with morning devotions. She is quoted as saying, "Before I do anything, I have my morning devotions. I have to thank God for what he has done for me. All the exercise in the world is not going to help you if you don't pray about it."

I think Ms. Shepherd's example as well as the other lovelies that I mentioned here can be summed up this way:

1. It's never too late to get started on our journey to becoming mentally, physically & spiritually fit,
2. We may have to make some modifications at first but we can't allow the need for modification to lead to procrastination, and
3. We've got to keep God first and everything else will fall into place. We just have to Wake Up, Pray up and MOVE!

So, to all of our Shazzy Fitness Family that falls into that senior category according to the checkbox on a form, we see YOU. We thank you for giving us so much to look forward to, we are grateful that you are a part of our Shazzy Fitness Family and we are well aware that when it comes to you, we ain't seen nothing yet.