Our girls love Berenstain Bears, we read them just about every night. One of the pieces of wisdom we repeat to the kids regularly is asking if they remember what privilege and responsibility means “Privilege means being allowed to do stuff, and responsibility means not messing up.”

Health is a privilege, maintaining it is YOUR responsibility. 

Our 7 month baby has about 5% responsibility for her health, consisting mostly of filling diapers. Blayne and Dylan are closer to about 25%. We are working on teaching them about healthy food, the importance of working out, brushing their teeth, and how all these things make your body feel good. We can only dream of the day their responsibility moves to 100% (and then they move out and we are wishing for these days back, but that’s another post for another day). 

As adults do we accept 100% of the responsibility of maintaining our health? Or do we push some of that off to our doctor, our spouse, Google, or Instagram videos with the latest trend?

While you feel like your doctor, dentist, chiropractor, or even genes might bear some responsibility for your health, do they get any of the privileges? Not really, and if asked I doubt they will say they’re willing to be held responsible for your health. So who picks up the difference? Well who benefits from your health? You, and your family.

My family is pretty centered around CrossFit Eclipse so I might be biased, but I believe fitness is a family affair. If it’s something you do together you’re more likely to stick with it. Accountability is a huge part of fitness, and who is better at keeping you accountable than the most important people in your life? I’m not about to watch a Disney Princess movie on my own, but I can sing Let It Go word for word. Family is a great motivating factor, for better or worse.

So what are you going to do to not mess up your health? Are you going to accept the responsibility of your, and your family’s, health? If you’re reading this I’m choosing to believe you are, and the next step is back to Improv 101 –  Yes, and?

No doesn’t exist, you must always accept what you are given and build on it. Today’s workout looks impossible? Yes, and … you can always come in and give it your best. Who cares if you don’t finish in the time cap. Your shoulder hurts from all the pull ups yesterday? Yes, and … you can stretch and heal your body. You spent 10 days at the lake and your legs hurt after the first warm up back squat? Yes, and … you can drop a color level and start getting back at it. Work got crazy and you didn’t make it to the gym today? Yes, and … there’s always tomorrow.

No matter what the excuse, responsibility is realizing an excuse is just an excuse. If you want to earn and enjoy your health, not only live a long life but really LIVE a life then you have to accept the responsibility of maintaining your health throughout your life. Jimmy isn’t at 4:30pm everyday because he’s trying to snatch 200 pounds, he’s there because he wants to keep playing golf year after year. He wants to keep traveling and being active with his family, so he’s accepting that responsibility of coming to the gym and working out. Whining, and whining, and whining, and working out.

Your health is your privilege, and your responsibility. You might be just starting to think about joining a gym, you might be realizing your nutrition plays a larger role in health than you thought, or you might be realizing that daily movements are getting harder than they should be. Yes, and … you can take that next step to improve your health. Come on in, we’d love to help you get started!