With the ALS ice bucket challenge taking over all forms of social media it wasn’t until I saw the Pete Frates feature on SportsCenter that the severity of the disease hit me. Then it got me thinking, so many able, young people are obese and do not take advantage of their ability to go for a walk, run, or swim. People with ALS, rapidly lose the ability to do basic every day functions like sitting up, talking, even feeding themselves. Seeing people in this condition makes me so glad the ice bucket challenge happened to raise awareness of those suffering from the disease but also to remind those of us that are healthy and fully able to be active and take care of our bodies, to do so.

Not exercising, drinking alcohol and poor eating habits are poisonous to the body, very slowly weakening the immune system, stiffening joints and inhibiting many from doing daily tasks; taking a perfectly able body and destroying it from the inside out.

Take time to donate to ALS or any disease close to your heart,  but also reflect on how blessed you are to have a body that hasn’t failed you. Don’t be the one to fail it.