I am not going to be kind with my use of words for fear of hurting your feelings. So, if you’re overweight put on your blinders, which is what I do driving through our neighborhoods seeing overweight people.
I am talking about overweight people that do not exercise, smoke, use drugs, drink and — when not doing these killer activities — sit around in front of the television playing video games, or watching your favorite show eating cookies and drinking pop. In the malls, in public, schools, work, wherever, I see people so fat it makes one wonder how they manage to do simple things like use the toilet with their butts hanging over the toilet seats, hardly able to walk, stand up, and are unable to walk 60 feet without breathing hard. I am talking about Black people.
At my age, when in the gym, I can do more pushups, lift more weights, work out harder compared to people in their 20s and 30s. Not bragging — just facts.
One day, driving down Broadway I stopped in the new Anytime Fitness Center. It was a great feeling to see Black people managing the center. Sadly, the managers were the only people present. Looking at all the updated exercise equipment made me think a lot of Black people must visit this location.
However, the manager, Teresa Watson, indicated that this was not true and Ms. Watson was concerned that Black people are not in the center and often do not see a doctor until it is too late. Black health has to start with losing that excess weight, putting weed, smoking and alcohol in the grave (before it puts you there) and get in the gym.
Black money should be going into our health and not unhealthy patterns that destroy Black health. Black fitness must be a family focus. Black fitness improves teens’ school performance and promotes healthier lifestyles when older.
I asked Dr. Tara Watson, Teresa’s sister, at Anytime Fitness on Broadway Ave. North to comment on my thoughts on Black fitness. “Exercise improves your chances of living longer and living healthier. Exercise helps to protect you from developing heart disease and stroke, or its precursors. And when combined with a lower-calorie diet, improves heart, lung and muscle fitness. Exercise can keep young people away from drugs, improve school performance and improve self-esteem.”
If you have some kind of medical reason for being fat, ignore my column. However, if it’s a poor choice due to laziness and/or behavior, start exercising. Get your family involved in exercise. Get your loved one and start a Black fitness plan.
Being Black means our health must be one top priority. You can get in shape during your favorite television programs. If you would like a free copy of my seven-week getting-started plan call and/or email me.
When we as Black people exercise and take care of ourselves, we perform better in all areas of our lives. I like this BFP thing — Black Fitness Plan. Sounds good, right? I made it up.
Lucky Rosenbloom welcomes reader responses to 651-917-1720, or email him at l.rosenbloom@yahoo.com.
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Hi I am in my late 40’s and I am a skate instructor. I have been roller skating for almost 4 decades, I am drug and alcohol free. I enjoy exercising and I am in tip-top shape because of roller skating. I agree with you on how important to exercise, it helped me with stress, anxiety, depression, diabetes, and other mental issues. It also bothers me when I see over weight people not taking care of their bodies and not eating properly.