My parents take walks just about every single day. They don’t go far or hard, but they do it. My dad, who is 84 years old, often goes in the middle of the day. He loves to listen to his radio while he walks. My mom, who just turned 77, prefers to go in the morning. She likes to avoid the “traffic” in the small town they live in. They inspire me.

There are many other older people I have seen throughout the years. I’ve seen them hiking the trails, I’ve seen them running up long steep hills, and I’ve seen them walking my neighborhood roads. They all inspire me. I always feel like I want to be like them as I continue to age. I want to find joy in movement and in getting outside to enjoy the sunshine. 

Here’s the thing: I may not continue to run as many races. I might not want to climb as many high mountains. But I will always find joy and gratitude in taking care of my body. I will find joy in that now, and I will find joy in it for all the years to come. 

My challenge to each of us is to take a step back and remember that our reasons for being active don’t always need to be motivated by a number on the scale, a goal race, a mileage number per week, or any other metric. The biggest and most important reason we should move our bodies is because we can! If we continue to take care of them and move them, we will be able to continue to do what we love for many, many years to come.