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"I&amp;amp;#8217;ve been thinking about family quite a bit lately. My great aunt passed away last week; and while I believe that there is a designated hour for everyone to leave this earth, I can&amp;amp;#8217;t help but feel that she died before her time. She was 61 years old. The sad thing is that although that&amp;#x27;s considered young by most standards, in my family, most of the women die by the time they&amp;amp;#8217;re 65. Could exercise and nutrition prolong their lives or at least improve their quality of life? I am positive the answer is yes.On the morning my aunt passed away, my boss told me to take the day off, and so I did. I was gratefuI for the opportunity to spend some time alone. And although I had the option of cancelling my workout, I decided to go anyway. In my own quiet way, I was honoring my aunt by keeping the appointment. Since then, exercise has taken on a new and serious dimension for me. Yes, I love the endorphins it gives me and the fact that I am much stronger, physically, than I have ever been. I appreciate the compliments people give me, and the fact that I can wear certain things that I couldn&amp;amp;#8217;t before; but now exercise has practically become an act of violence for me. Let me explain: I have a genetic predisposition for diabetes and heart disease, and every time I work out, I am fighting it. With every bicep curl and every lunge, trivial as they may seem, I am saying NO to illness. The same goes for what I eat--it&amp;#x27;s not just about trimming my waistline, it&amp;#x27;s about investing in my health. This is my two-year old cousin, Nissi. She calls me &amp;quot;titi,&amp;quot; (Spanish for aunt) and I know she looks up to me. I need to be a good example for her. At a memorial service for my aunt this weekend, a relative told me she was going to make better choices about food. She also told me she was inspired by my example and really proud of me for having made the changes that I have thus far. I was very touched--we don&amp;amp;#8217;t always realize the impact our lifestyle changes can have on others. I really hope that this will be a turning point for my family. I think there comes a point in everyone&amp;amp;#8217;s life where a decision has to be made: Will we take ownership of our health? For me, it came as a sophomore in college, when the scale tipped at 212 pounds, the heaviest I had ever been. I knew that at 5&amp;amp;#8217;3, that was not optimal, so I started (slowly) incorporating exercise into my life. And now my aunt&amp;amp;#8217;s death has served as a timely reminder of why I&amp;amp;#8217;m really doing this&amp;amp;#8212;for my health, and for my loved ones, too. How about you? What was the turning point that made you decide to live healthier and more active lifestyle? Was it something serious, like a health scare, or simply not fitting into your favorite jeans? And what changes did you make? Did you give up soda or move the television out of your bedroom? Did you commit to working out a certain number of times a week, or purchase a piece of fitness equipment? They&amp;amp;#8217;re all significant changes, big or small, so please, do share! "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.glamour.com/health-fitness/blogs/shape-up/2009/05/who-or-what-inspires-you-to-be>