November always gets us thinking about gratitude.
We give thanks for our families. Our friends. Our homes. The food on our tables. The people we love.
But there’s something many of us rarely think to thank.
Our body.
Think about it.
How many years have we spent looking in the mirror and immediately noticing what we’d like to change?
The stomach we wish were flatter. The arms we wish were firmer. The wrinkles that weren't there ten years ago. The number on the scale we'd like to see go down.
We're really good at noticing what our bodies aren't.
But what if, this month, we started noticing everything they ARE?
Look What Your Body Has Done for You
Your body has carried you through every single day of your life. It has walked you into rooms that scared you. It has hugged people you love. It has danced at weddings, carried babies, climbed stairs, recovered from illness, worked long days, traveled to wonderful places and gotten you through some really hard ones.
And if you're fortunate enough to wake up today and move that body?
That's something worth celebrating.
At 66, I don't exercise because I'm trying to get the body I had at 30.
I strength train because I want to take care of the body I have TODAY - and prepare it for everything I still want to do tomorrow.
I want to keep lifting. Walking. Traveling. Boating. Playing.
And yes...TWIRLING!
I don't want age to decide what I'm capable of doing.
And that has changed the way I think about fitness.
What If Exercise Became a Thank You?
So many of us have been taught to think about exercise as punishment.
We ate too much, so we need to work it off. We gained weight, so we need to exercise harder. We don't like something we see in the mirror, so we need to fix it.
What if we changed that conversation?
Instead of:
“I HAVE to work out.”
What if we said:
“I GET to move my body.”
I get to lift weights because my muscles are capable of becoming stronger. I get to walk because my legs can carry me. I get to challenge my balance because I want to stay steady. I get to fuel my body with protein and nourishing foods because I want to give it what it needs.
That's a completely different relationship with our bodies.
It's not punishment.
It's gratitude in action.
Stop Waiting Until Something Doesn't Work
Unfortunately, sometimes we don't appreciate what our bodies can do until something changes. An injury. An illness. A knee that suddenly hurts. A shoulder that doesn't move quite like it used to.
Something we once did without thinking suddenly becomes difficult.
And that's when we realize what a gift movement really is.
So why wait?
Why not appreciate our strength while we have it—and do what we can to protect it?
Especially as we get older, maintaining our muscle, mobility, balance and strength isn't just about looking fit.
It's about independence.
It's about continuing to live the life we love.
Your Body Doesn't Need to Be Perfect to Deserve Your Gratitude
Maybe your body doesn't look exactly the way you'd like it to right now. Maybe you're carrying extra weight. Maybe you aren't as strong as you'd like to be. Maybe menopause changed things you weren't expecting. Maybe there are parts of your body that simply don't work the way they once did.
You can want to improve your health and appreciate your body at the same time.
Those two things can exist together.
Gratitude doesn't mean giving up on your goals.
It means pursuing those goals from a place of respect rather than criticism.
Take care of your body because you appreciate it - not because you hate it.
Give Your Body a Thank You
So sometime today, I want you to stop and think about your body differently.
Instead of looking in the mirror and immediately finding something you'd like to change, ask yourself:
“What has my body allowed me to do that I'm grateful for?”
Maybe today you're simply grateful that it got you out of bed.
Whatever your answer is, acknowledge it.
And then ask one more question:
“What can I do today to thank my body for carrying me?”
Take the walk.
Lift the weights.
Eat the protein.
Drink the water.
Stretch.
Rest when you need it.
Go to the appointment you've been putting off.
And maybe look in the mirror and say:
“Thank you.”
Because this body of yours?
It has carried you a long way.
And hopefully, you and that amazing body still have a whole lot of living left to do.
You are what you Eat & Drink, Wear, and Think.
And this November, let's also remember to be thankful for the body that allows
