By Michael Hawley is our July Member of the month.
I love his perspective on fitness and health.
He humbly agreed to be featured this month, and this is what Michael says about his journey at Barefoot:
“I joined Barefoot in January. Deep down inside I had a good base of fitness but the past four years of inactivity had eroded my body to the point of shortness of breath from bending over to tie my shoes.
I will say that I, once again, have the fitness and agility that I used to. In fact, I FEEL like I’m in the best shape of my life and that’s what really matters to me, how I feel. It doesn’t matter to me what I look like. Looks are for models, fitness is for living and quality of life.
I work outside a lot. Once again I’m able to climb around on machinery like a rhesus macaque, not slowing down, plenty of energy and strength. Recently, after a long and tiring weekend of outdoor projects followed by 6:30 class, my muscles felt ‘used’. Not tired, not sore, not spent…Just used.
It was a great feeling to be able to work that hard, all weekend long, workout in the morning, and still feel strength in my used muscles.
The human body is a wonderful apparatus. I finally feel like I’m realizing the potential in mine and I love feeling like this.
I believe that we have been given wonderful bodies by our Lord to use as a vessel to experience life, raise children, and help others. If I don’t keep in shape then I can’t do those things to the level expected of me. I have power, energy, and strength to work and live without paying for it the next day or, worse, not being able to keep up.”
-Abby
