Well, we did it!  Team ShapelyGirl completed the Broad Street Run on Sunday.

It wasn’t pretty sometimes; there were tears, momentary breakdowns, blisters, shin splints, an argument or two.  But we all made it across the finish line last Sunday. We made it through all 10 miles of this race that Philadelphia hosts every year to benefit cancer research. It was really something to see.  There were over 20,000 runners at the starting line.  Some of the world’s elite runners were there, but there were also many ordinary Philadelphians who took part.  They came in all colors, ethnic backgrounds and ages; soccer moms, CPA’s, and school teachers.  And of course, ShapelyGirls.

It was almost 10 weeks ago that I came up with the idea for a ShapelyGirl challenge: Would plus size women be interested in training to power walk or very lightly jog the Broad Street Run?  Would they take the challenge?  And even with the training could they do it?  I’ve done it every year for the past 9 years and I know how difficult it can be.  I knew that the biggest obstacle would most likely be a lack of belief in their own ability.  Anyone who knows me knows that I truly believe that larger women can and should be fit.  But would the world take us seriously?

For a while it wasn’t looking good.  I started to talk about the race in February in my workout classes and although some of the workout participants thought about it, none came forward and actually signed up. I was very emphatic in telling them that if they trained properly they could get through it and finish and how much time it would take to do 10 miles.  Slowly I began to see a spark of interest and a few girls filled out the paper work.  Then a few more made the leap and team ShapelyGirl was born.  I mapped out a training regimen for the14 of them and we got to work; nights, early mornings and every weekend.  For 8 weeks in a row they’d be mine.

The physical and mental training were equally important.  They began to realize that I believed in them and in that it was OK to believe in themselves. This group was so dedicated and motivated that it was inspiring to me.  And inspiring to the hundreds of thousands of people who learned about their courage in the Philadelphia Inquirer and on Channel 6 Action News.  When the team went out to dinner the Friday before the race people in the restaurant recognized us and came over to wish us well.  I was so proud of these women.

On race day they continued to make me proud.  What a glorious day it was. It was supposed to rain.  I was nursing a cold.  But the crowds were cheering, the great energy of the volunteers, the runners and my ShapelyGirls pushing all the way – how could it not be fantastic?  The sun finally came out.  As the end got closer it was me, one of my team members and another woman we’d kept encouraging not to give up.  The 3 of us joined hands and crossed the finish line together…literally the last 3 to do so before they re-opened Broad Street to traffic.  Most of the team had finished further up in the pack.

I take my hat off to those team members who kept me motivated and wanting to work harder.  We showed the world that curvy women could do it.  Since then I have had many e-mails from women who say they want to be part of the team next year. Well, we might not wait until next year.  We just might do the Half Marathon in September.  Are you in?

For many years I have known that people who workout are healthier than people who are sedentary. Professionally I have always known that women who work out regularly not only have better attitudes but also have strong bodies that look great. That makes sense and certainly is not difficult to understand. I have also known for years that you do not have to be thin to be fit even though most people –fitness professionals included - believed otherwise.

So finally here comes scientific research to back up what I have been saying for years: FITNESS COMES IN MANY SIZES. The Journal of the American Medical Association has released a study which supports the fact that you do not have to be thin to be in good shape. (Read details below) I am a perfect example of that. I am a strong, healthy large woman who is a size 12. This is the philosophy behind the CURVY GIRL WORKOUT. I know plenty of larger, curvier and plus size women who look and feel great. I have been training, coaching, and teaching for many years and have maintained a fitness level superior to many women who are thinner or younger than me.

Now there is science to prove what I already knew: Having a few extra pounds on your frame is not a good reason not to start a fitness program. The time is now for all women to look and feel better by moving your body. Most likely, you will never be a size 2 but I know that with determination and commitment to working out daily you will and can be fitter than your skinny co-workers.

Debra
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Fitness, Not Fatness Predicts a Longer Life People in Good Shape Tend to Outlive Folks Who Aren’t Study Finds
TUESDAY, Dec. 4 (HealthDay News) — In the quest for a longer life, a new study suggests fit is where it’s at — even if you’re fat. Overweight and obese seniors who were physically fit outlived their contemporaries — even thin ones who weren’t physically fit, the researchers said.
“Cardio-respiratory fitness is a strong determinate of mortality in older men and women,” said lead researcher Steven N. Blair, a professor at the University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health. “Older individuals need to be concerned about their fitness level,” Blair added. “There is perhaps too much focus on body weight, and fitness is only an afterthought.”

Adequate fitness can be achieved with 30 minutes of moderate exercise each day, such as brisk walking, regardless of your weight, Blair said. The findings are published in the Dec. 5 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

For the study, Blair’s team looked at the relationship between body fat, fitness and longevity in 2,603 men and women aged 60 and older who took part in the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study. During 12 years of follow-up, 450 people died. Among overweight people in the study, 23 percent were classified as unfit, as were 53 percent of obese people, Blair said. “You really can’t tell if a person is fit by looking at them,” he said.

People who were fit were more than 50 percent less likely to die than unfit people, regardless of weight — meaning overweight but fit people tended to outlive leaner people who weren’t in good shape. And fit folks were less likely to have risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes, Blair said.

The people who died were older, had lower fitness levels, and had more cardiovascular risk factors. To get fit and stay fit, Blair recommends 30 minutes of moderate exercise at least five days a week. “You don’t even have to do the 30 minutes all at once. Three 10-minute walks a day five days a week will get you out of this unfit category and get you at least moderately fit,” he said.

One heart expert agreed that the new study highlights the importance of being physically fit. “Numerous studies have provided evidence that physical fitness is associated with lower mortality risk,” said Dr. Gregg C. Fonarow, a professor of cardiology at the University of California, Los Angeles. “Furthermore, while having increased body-mass index indicating obesity is associated with excess risk of mortality, this relationship is significantly attenuated in individuals who exercise and demonstrate good physical fitness.

“Being physically fit essentially neutralized the excess mortality risk associated with obesity whereas being unfit was independently associated with excess deaths regardless of body mass or other measures of adiposity [body fat],” Fonarow added.