We were the family that took the stairs.

From the time I was a little girl, I was taught to treat my body with love and respect, which included feeding it properly and being active in some capacity every single day.

I have memories of sitting on the couch at five years old watching my mom do “The Firm” workout tapes in the living room every morning. My dad is a race director of a 5K series and thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail in five months. They got engaged on top of Mount Katahdin and gave my brother and me the adventurous childhood a kid could only dream of.

Simply put, my parents are badasses and set me up with some pretty big, sweaty running sneaks to fill. They created a solid foundation that was more impactful than I ever could have imagined.

As I grew older, I built on that foundation and began to create my own vision for what health meant for me. I stayed active as a three-sport athlete in high school and went on to run XC (cross country) in college.

Now that the competitive years are behind me, things are a little different. I am no longer allotted a time slot for practice, and the pregame spaghetti dinners are a thing of the past. Since graduation, I have played around with different routines, and have realized that along with the ebbs and flows of life, my workout routine will also be ever-changing. My life is about more than just a “Push, Pull, Legs” split.

I decided I wanted to dedicate my focus on a lifestyle. A journey, not an end-goal.

I am not a number, a size, a label. I am my own home, and my goal is to make it the best place I could possibly live. I have not “skinny” legs, but strong, muscular quads which allow me to climb mountains, walk, run, and bike as far and as fast as I please. I have a solid core, which serves as the foundation for my every movement. I have incredible arms and shoulders, which have the strength to quite literally pump hearts and save lives through several rounds of CPR.

What a gift to be able to shape and create the body in which you explore this world, chase after your dreams, and create lasting change.

I once stumbled upon this idea to sit down and write every aspect of your “ideal self” and then strive every day to make this vision a reality:

How do you spend your time? What are you able to do? How much time do you spend on your phone? How much time do you spend reading? How do you treat others? Are you happy?

When it came to the physical attributes, there were several nonnegotiables for me. I have a body that is active, fit, nimble, athletic, flexible, explosive, and can lift heavy things. I have a body in which I feel comfortable and confident. I don’t want to be the tiniest version of myself, I want to be the most powerful.

These are the reasons I work out. These are my driving forces. I don’t work out because I have to, I work out because I am lucky enough to be able to. I eat real, whole foods that fuel these workouts and make me strong. I am not only prolonging my life, but adding on quality years in which I can continue to explore and do the things that excite me.

I am building these habits and actions to one day inspire bright-eyed children of my own, to show them what an honor it is to take care of your home.