Actions rarely come without consequences. Levi missed playing with his daughter, walking with his wife, and the freedom to explore wherever he wanted. He missed his independence and understandably, his wheelchaired life took a toll on him mentally and emotionally. For 12 months he never left his apartment. He was 35 years old at the time.
In 2014, Levi decided that he had had enough. He decided to give up his wheelchair and relearn how to walk. The personal costs in foregone opportunities and lost independence had become too great. When a baby learns to walk, their first steps are tentative and uneven. It's hard work learning to walk and as I watched the video of Levi taking his first steps away from his | |
| On April 10, 2016, Levi walked a 5K, a remarkable accomplishment for someone reliant on a wheelchair just 6 months ago. He has plans to do a 10K and then a half marathon later this year. Can a full marathon be far behind? Levi's inspiring story is a powerful testament to the power we humans have to change our lives when we decide that changes are needed. |
But I've relearned a second, subtler lesson from Levi Moore. I've been reminded that the easier and "better" option often comes with strings attached. We pay a very high price for all the sitting that we do. Levi's life in a wheelchair just amplified and expedited these costs and made them more readily apparent. Few of us avoid these costs entirely. We may not think about our increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, or cancer when we are plunked in a chair, but the risks are there. We may not link our achy joints, fatigue, stress, and bouts of depression to being sedentary, but scientists tells us they are often correlated. When we repeatedly give in to the chairs that surround us and spend most of our days sitting, we lose our evolutionary drive to walk. We lose the ability to walk easily, freely, and without pain. We risk our vitality and our ability to live independently. We pay a very high price indeed.
We can't fulfil our potential and live a full, vibrant life if we stick ourselves in a chair and stay there. We are meant to move. Thanks for the reminder, Levi. Walk on.
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