I work in healthcare with elderly patients. This week my lady, a 95+ year old patient, wanted to go "swimming". ugh. She's overweight, walks with a walker, and appears to be, weak... All I could think about was all the extra work: outfit changes, showering, fixing hair, what if she falls, what if she has problems in the water... I was thinking she'd get in, walk a lap, then be ready to get out. Fine. Let's do this.

She got in that pool and BLEW US AWAY!!! She swam 2 laps (down and back twice) *flawlessly*. I was speechless. The exercise director was too! And right then and there, I knew, nothing should stop ME from exercising!! (my 3 knee surgeries, my large saggy body, the weather, my moods...)

Soooo, what inspires you? (And if there is already a thread about inspiration, sorry... I couldn't find it so I decided to start one.)

Share!!

That's fantastic! People can always surprise you... And it's so much fun when they do!

I personally get a great deal of my inspiration right on this board... I love looking at the goal/mini goal photo albums, to see how drastically everyone changes. I think to myself, "I want that!!!"

I also inspire myself, with daily weigh ins. I stay focused, I get to rejoice in seeing the numbers go down... And if/when they go up, I can catch it immediately and start working harder to get back to where I want to be!

One day i was at the gym taking a lazy walk when an elderly man with an oxygen tank pulled up to the machine beside me and started walking at a brisk pace. After that i started running, I realized that if he could walk like that with an oxygen tank then i should be able to run!

What great inspiration! Thank you!

One day at the gym, a little old gray-haired lady came in to the carpeted stretching area where I was doing abs. And I thought, how nice, Grandma is here to walk and stretch a bit.

Well --

Grandma got down on the floor and cranked out 15 perfect, military pushups. On her toes!

I want to be like her!!!

that's a great story!!! Meg's too. I definitely want to be a fit and active old woman (and who knows, maybe I will inspire people 40 years from now! lol!)

One of my inspirations was Kitty Carlisle Hart. I saw her on the Today show when she was into her 90s, demonstrating her daily exercise regime, which was more than I could do at that time! (although IIRC, I was pregnant. lol!)

Thats fantastic, it really is.

The most inspiring thing that has happened to me lately . . . is I was told by a friend that I inspired her . . . . that was a shocker.

Hi everybody! WOW Meg, that's a great one!! Keep sharing everybody, these stories cheer my heart & soul!