Transcript: Freedom Isn't Just a Holiday. It's What Fitness Gives You Back.
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Ashley introduces the episode, notes she's recording and releasing it on the same day (4th of July), and frames the topic around freedom and her streak of daily episodes approaching day 365.
Maybe the truth is, the reason I fell in love with fitness is because of freedom. What's up my movers and shakers? Famous Ashley Grant here. Welcome to More Movement Please, the podcast where I hope to inspire you to move your body more. Today I want to talk about the freedom that fitness gives you. And it's fitting because it's 4th of July. And for a switch, I'm actually recording this on the same day that it's being released. And the reason for that is because I want to talk about freedom. And I don't know if you guys have been following, but I've been trying to release an episode a day leading up to day 365. And we're getting closer and closer.
And so just wanted to talk about freedom. Freedom that I've gotten from fitness includes being able to lift groceries without asking for help. can now pick up a 35 bottle case of water without having to ask someone else to get it for me. I can walk to the door of the grocery store from the parking lot, even if I park all the way at the end of the lane, the aisle, whatever. I can take a flight of stairs without needing a lot of excessive time. And so I don't feel like I have to hold people up whenever I'm trying to take a flight of stairs. It's simple things like that that make it to where I feel more free in my body. I don't feel as restricted because when you're out of shape, it's a lot of restriction.
Ashley lists concrete things she can now do — carry a 35-bottle case of water, walk from a far parking spot, take stairs without holding people up — that she couldn't do or struggled with before getting in shape.
And I prefer to have the freedom that comes with fitness. And a year ago, a lot of the things that I do, I couldn't have done. I couldn't have gone up that mountain and taken in that amazing view in Brea. I couldn't have. done the Ruby Fall hike and seen those amazing waterfalls. Maybe I could have, but it would not have been something where I could have done it as quickly as I did and we only had so much time. So it's things like that that just make me so grateful to have the freedom to move my body. And so I kind of just wanted to reflect on that a little bit today and tell you that if you are considering your fitness journey, I want to encourage you to just start because the freedom you get from it, the removing of the chains of constriction, of inability to move, the fact that you're going to feel better, the fact that you're going to open up your mind to new possibilities, the, God, there's so many amazing things that come
Ashley reflects on hiking a mountain in Brea and Ruby Falls, and dancing at a party the night before without getting out of breath — moments that fill her with gratitude and that she says wouldn't have been possible a year ago.
when you commit to fitness. And I'm just, I'm really filled with gratitude today thinking about this. Because like even last night, my husband and I, we went to a party and we were dancing and I was able to dance without getting out of breath. And that felt really good. It felt really freeing. And, you know, to think about the fact that previously, if I had tried to dance the way that I did last night, that I would have had to have taken so many breaks. I would have needed to sit down. I would have had to look for, I would have been clocking all the areas that had a table and chairs. But because of the fact that I am getting in shape, I was able to just dance. That's what I need. And I want that for you guys too. So happy 4th of July if you're listening to this on the 4th. And if it's not the 4th, well, happy freedom to you if you decide to start getting in shape. Onwards and upwards, my friends. Have you worked out today?