Transcript: Freedom Isn't Just a Holiday. It's What Fitness Gives You Back.
Full transcript for this episode of More Movement Please. For Donato’s structured summary, questions, quotes, and listening profile, go back to the episode page.
3 chapters — tap to expand the full text
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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?