Just Move It

If you’ve followed my instagram story lately, you might have noticed I have a new puppy. Bridget is a 4month old black Labrador. While puppies are a ton of work (and cause a bit of chaos in your home), it’s been a total delight “raising” Ms.Bridget. 

All caretakers of children and puppies know 1. you learn by doing and 2. you gotta start somewhere! When a toddler started walking, they first stand up, then balance without holding onto anything, then they take step, then two. 

It’s the same for dogs. For instance, Bridget wasn’t able to go down even one stair, so being a cute little puppy, she’d cry and bat her eyes at us and we’d pick her up and carry her down the one easy step. We did this for weeks, but when Bridget hit the 3month mark, we realized she wasn’t evolving and it was getting ridiculous. It took a bit of crying and even frozen banana slices didn’t woo her off that step initially, but she finally did it.

Now, Bridget is a stair-master! She literally ran up and down the “Rocky” steps in Philadelphia (see the above pic) with me, Luca (my son), and Rey (our 4year old lab) a couple of weeks ago…a great example of learning by doing. 

Fitness is no different. Kinesthetic awareness is only gained from actually moving your body. It’s not enough to read about it. It’s not enough to watch other people do it. Every runner, ballerina, tennis pro, and even Rocky Balboa himself was once an infant just trying to walk.

Bridget is a reminder to us all to just move it and take the first step. Progress is incremental. Little by little. Step by step. The day will come when you’re at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, enjoying the view from the top.