Are We Having Fun Yet?
I pulled two muscles—one in my back and one in my right arm. This was during the “light” workout with my Marine personal trainer. My friend Chris, sympathetic soul that he is, said, “Well, no offense, but that usually happens if you’re not in shape.” Duh. Why does he think I hired a personal trainer in the first place?
No worries. I was only sidelined for a week, and I was back at it Monday (though my arms are so sore today I can hardly lift them, but that’s another blog for another day). I’m determined to get in shape. And not just because I have a convention coming up in August (I would SO love to be the Kendra I was—size-wise, anyway—in 1994), but because my health—my very life—is at stake. Diabetes runs in my family. Heart disease runs in my family. High blood pressure runs in my family. Cancer—you guessed it—runs in my family. I’m convinced these health problems have mowed down generations of Howards and Lees because too many of my family members carried around too much weight and spent too little time being active. And they believed too much that these health issues were inevitable.
They were wrong. If everyone had this attitude, nothing would get accomplished (and we’d all die too young), as I was reminded during a recent trip to Detroit for the Ford Freedom Award. The award, in its ninth year, had a medical theme this year, and renowned neurosurgeon Ben Carson and Howard University Hospital founder, the late Charles B. Purvis, M.D., were honored. If Dr. Carson, once a very poor student and this year’s Ford Freedom Scholar, had thrown in the towel, he’d never have become the incredible miracle worker he is today. Without Dr. Purvis, this year’s Ford Freedom Honoree and one of the first university-trained African-American physicians in this country, there might not be a Howard University Hospital today—or any other hospitals attached to historically black universities, for that matter.
So although my thighs are screaming, and my arms are making a sound at an octave only a dog can hear, I’ll be hanging out with the Marine again tomorrow. A fit Kendra can’t hold a candle to the accomplishments of Drs. Carson and Purvis, but it’s a step in the right direction against inevitability. Wish me luck!
Kendra Lee
Managing Editor
No worries. I was only sidelined for a week, and I was back at it Monday (though my arms are so sore today I can hardly lift them, but that’s another blog for another day). I’m determined to get in shape. And not just because I have a convention coming up in August (I would SO love to be the Kendra I was—size-wise, anyway—in 1994), but because my health—my very life—is at stake. Diabetes runs in my family. Heart disease runs in my family. High blood pressure runs in my family. Cancer—you guessed it—runs in my family. I’m convinced these health problems have mowed down generations of Howards and Lees because too many of my family members carried around too much weight and spent too little time being active. And they believed too much that these health issues were inevitable.
They were wrong. If everyone had this attitude, nothing would get accomplished (and we’d all die too young), as I was reminded during a recent trip to Detroit for the Ford Freedom Award. The award, in its ninth year, had a medical theme this year, and renowned neurosurgeon Ben Carson and Howard University Hospital founder, the late Charles B. Purvis, M.D., were honored. If Dr. Carson, once a very poor student and this year’s Ford Freedom Scholar, had thrown in the towel, he’d never have become the incredible miracle worker he is today. Without Dr. Purvis, this year’s Ford Freedom Honoree and one of the first university-trained African-American physicians in this country, there might not be a Howard University Hospital today—or any other hospitals attached to historically black universities, for that matter.
So although my thighs are screaming, and my arms are making a sound at an octave only a dog can hear, I’ll be hanging out with the Marine again tomorrow. A fit Kendra can’t hold a candle to the accomplishments of Drs. Carson and Purvis, but it’s a step in the right direction against inevitability. Wish me luck!
Kendra Lee
Managing Editor
posted by heart&soulmate @ 10:25 PM
2 Comments:
At 3:28 PM,
nypeach said…
I, too, have seen so many of my family members and friends killed by these diseases that can be prevented or at least controlled with proper diet and exercise. What bugs me the most is to hear people say that certain ones are just meant to be big. No, we can't all be petite. But that doesn't mean you have to weigh 300 pounds, either. I really believe that consistent exercise and a healthy diet will keep us living longer. It's not easy: actually, it sucks. But the alternative is the middle-aged jiggle, and I am NOT having any parts of that!
At 5:17 PM,
M.C.T. said…
Kendra, good for you. I've been struggling with this too, for too long it seems, and I applaud you for making the decision to "just do it". You're inspiring me to rekindle previous good habits, my friend. Keep it up!!
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