Since I can remember, I’ve had love handles. Some years ago when Maribel and I started working out, I had this sort of secret but not so secret desire that my exercising would eliminate these.
The picture on the left proves that this was not to be. That picture was taken June of this year, and as you can see, there are love handles. They were there even with constant exercising, marathon runs, and yoga!
Rest assured that my happiness was not dampened by the fat around my belly. In fact, I had convinced myself that my handles were a genetic gift of my ancestors and loving acceptance was my proper stance.
However, because of what I knew about fitness and weight, I knew that that particular fat around my waist was not only a look good naked issue but one that had ramifications on my health.
I’m not sure if you know that major studies in the past year concluded that waist size is a powerful indicator of risk of early death.
Researchers discovered that each extra 2 inches of love handles increased the risk of early death from 13% to 17%.
This is a sobering statistic.
In three months I will be turning 50. I’m so grateful to feel healthy. I don’t take my health for granted. My mom had her first open heart surgery when she was 39. My dad passed away from a work accident when he was 48.
Where I’m I going with this?
Here’s what I want to say to you. How you look is not that important. However, doing all you can to stay as healthy as possible is something that you should embrace wholeheartedly. This is not a self-centered thing. We do so for ourselves and those around us.
These bodies are amazing vehicles that carry our souls and allow life to express itself through us. We take care of them not just to look good naked as our culture often wants us to believe but to fully express the gift we were given at birth. Please think about this!
In the upcoming months, we will be hosting a number of individual and small group fitness classes, boot camps, yoga sessions, and healthy eating workshops that will focus on helping you keep your body and mind as healthy and as long as possible. Let us help you find your optimal weight, lose any handles you may not want, and live more deliciously.
We invite you to look at your body with awe and wonder and to treat it as you should, with tremendous care and devotion. Stay tuned for schedules. Join us.