Obesity is threatening national security, according to a new study, because one in four young adults is too overweight to join the military. In some states, as many as 44 percent of young adults, age 18-24, are obese and unfit to serve and protect.
I have a step-son in the Air Force. He was a scrawny, skateboarding teenager when I met his father. Josh joined the service at age 19, and has made it his career. Sometime ago he began strength training and body building. Believe me, he's no scrawny body anymore. He has been and continues to be an inspiration and motivation to me. He cheers me on and celebrates all my accomplishments. A couple of times I've had the privilege of going to his base gym and working out together. We have a common language of fitness and health. It is sad to read the statistic above and know that many young men and women aren't able to join their brothers and sisters in arms because they are so unfit so young in life.
As an instructor, I'm twice the age of some of the participants in my classes. But what is important is it's not where we begin, but where we finish. Many times we read about the success story that started with just a walk around the block, and then progressed to a much more active lifestyle. People who meet me now may not know my history; that I was once overweight and not the most fit individual. My journey started with jogging a block at a time when I was in my mid-twenties. I remember my first 3k run, and Bloomsday. It's a journey that will go on as long as I can put one foot in front of the other. So my advice is just begin.
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