Renewing your Vows: Are you Ready to Recommit?

Simply put, a vow renewal is a way to celebrate a marriage. It is often done on a big anniversary or when a couple has gone through a rough period and wants to reaffirm their commitments to each other. Well what if you decide to renew your vows to yourself? YES – to yourself! Many of us make vows to live a happier and healthier life by committing to nutritious eating and a consistent fitness regimen. Do we stick to these promises? We try…right? I’ve made new years resolutions, created summer fitness goals, and survived 30-day fitness challenges. Yay me! But here is the problem. I return to my normal eating habits and work out procrastination distractions and am forced me to start the entire process over within a couple of months. Why? Life happens. Busy season. Unexpected trials. New goals. Promotion. Birthdays. Holidays. School. Work. Extracurricular. Family commitments. I can go on and on. It’s tough to stay committed! I know the struggle.

But now is the time to renew your commitment to fitness. Why? Because your life depends on it! Now if you think I’m over exaggerating, I’ll share some words from a man who is a bestselling author, former co-host of Emmy winning “The Doctors” TV show, medical contributor to “The Rachael Ray Show” and host of the nationally syndicated radio show HealthWatch. I’m sure you know who I’m talking about. Does Dr. Ian Smith ring a bell? This esteemed graduate of Harvard, Columbia, and the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine enlightened the National Black MBA students and professionals with some astounding statistics that left us ready to take action!

Dr. Ian Smith spoke about WEIGHT. Now many women would rather not touch on this subject but we need to heighten our awareness so that we can take the appropriate actions needed to manage our weight. Since most of the women in the room were African-American, Dr. Smith talked about health disparities that are disproportionally impacting women of color. African-American women have the highest rates overweight and obesity compared to other groups in the United States. About 4 in 5 African – American women are overweight or obese. Wow!

Being overweight or obese is not all about aesthetics. Nomatter what size you are, you should feel good about who you are and always strive to be the best and healthiest version of you. Here is the real problem. Being overweight or obese increases your risk of:

· Heart Disease

· Type 2 diabetes

· High blood pressure

· Stroke

· Breathing problems

· Arthritis

· Gallbladder disease

· Sleep apnea

· Some cancers

How do you even know if you are overweight or obese? Check your BMI! Obesity or overweight is measured with a body mass index (BMI). BMI shows the relationship of weight to height. The first step to changing your life is to know your numbers. Your doctor can provide you with your BMI or you can download an app on your phone in order to calculate your BMI. Women with a BMI of 25 to 29.9 are considered overweight. Women with a BMI of 30 or more are considered obese. All people 18 years or older who have a BMI of 25 or more are at risk of early death and disability from being overweight or obese. These health risks increase as the BMI rises. This is heart breaking! What are we going to do? Let’s start here.

1) Know your numbers.

2) Adopt a heart healthy nutritious plan

3) Commit to be physically fit

Are you ready to recommit? I know you’ve tried and tried but this is your time to succeed and win! Take this time to think about the changes you want to make and renew your vows. If you are not willing to do it for yourself, do it for your family. Your family loves you. The decisions you make will impact them. Find a reason to recommit that goes beyond you because this may help you to STAY committed. If you want to live the life of your dreams, make sure your health is a priority.

Think about your vows. A marriage vow is a promise that each partner makes to the other during a wedding ceremony. What promises are you going to make to yourself? Promise to love your body. You only have one. There is no temptation that should distract you from becoming the best you. You are reading this for a reason. If you are reading this, do yourself a favor: renew your vows!

If you or your team needs help renewing your vows, contact me today. I am available to teach zumba classes at various community organizations and corporations.