“Beloved, I pray that in every way you may succeed and prosper in every way and be in good health [physically], just as (I know] your soul prospers [spiritually.]” — 3 John 1:2 (AMP)
If you’ve ever felt like life keeps getting in the way of taking care of yourself, you’re not alone.
When Life Keeps Life-ing
Can I be honest with you for a minute?
June has been a lot. Actually, so has January through May.
I’ve been holding grief and gratitude at the same time, and if you’ve ever tried to do that, you know it’s not an easy thing to carry. Life has been life-ing in every sense of the word — and through it all, I’ve been trying to take care of myself.
Some days I’ve done a decent job. Other days? Not so much.
Maybe you’ve wanted to eat better, move your body more, or simply take better care of yourself—but life kept getting in the way.
But here’s what I’m learning: wellness in the middle of real life doesn’t look like a highlight reel. It looks like showing up anyway — imperfect, tired, and still trying.
That’s what Joyful June has looked like for me. And if you’re somewhere in the middle of your own unfinished season, I hope something in this post encourages you to keep going, too.
My Biggest Wellness Win: I Kept Showing Up
Let me start with the win, because I think we skip over our wins too quickly.
Every Friday, I’m in the gym. That has been my non-negotiable, and I’ve kept it. No matter what the week brought — the hard days, the emotional weight, the moments when I didn’t feel like it — I showed up for Barbell Therapy, and Barbell Therapy showed up for me.
Something has shifted in my mindset, too.
I used to focus on the numbers—how much weight I was lifting, how quickly I was progressing, what the scale said. I’m in a different headspace now. I’m lifting to be strong. I’m lifting because it clears my mind. I’m lifting because it reminds me that this body, at 56, is still capable of doing hard things.
But more than that, I’m lifting for old woman Tami.
The stronger I become today, the more independent I can be as I continue to age. That’s the woman I’m investing in every time I step into the gym. I want her to be strong enough to travel, carry her own bags, enjoy nature trails, get up from the floor, and live life on her own terms —as the Lord leads.
That mindset shift? That’s a wellness win. And I’m claiming it.
Perhaps you’ve been showing up consistently for something too—the gym, your daily walk, doctor’s appointments, therapy, counseling, or simply spending quiet time with God each morning.
Don’t overlook that.
You don’t have to be crushing goals to be making progress. Sometimes the biggest victory is that you kept showing up when it would have been easier to quit.
Listening to My Body: You Got to Fight the Old
Now let me talk about the part that’s been humbling me.
My hips are tight. My left hip flexor is strained. And if you’re a woman over 50 who is physically active, you probably know exactly what I mean when I say my body is sending me very clear signals that it needs more intentional care than it used to.
I can’t just push through everything the way I once could. I have to be deliberate about making time for mobility exercises, about recovery, about taking care of the body that carries me. That has required some adjustments — modifications to my gym lifts, more attention to warming up, and, honestly, more humility about what my body needs right now.
A good friend said something to me some time ago that has stuck with me:
“You’ve got to fight the old.”
When she said it, I smiled — because it sounds simple. But there is so much wisdom packed into those five words.
Fighting the old doesn’t mean pretending I’m 25 again. It doesn’t mean ignoring pain signals or pushing past what my body is telling me.
It means refusing to surrender my strength, my mobility, or my desire to keep growing. It means doing the hip mobility exercises. It means making adjustments rather than making excuses. It means giving my body what it needs so I can keep doing the things that matter most.
Your fight might look different.
It may look like taking that walk you’ve been putting off, or making the doctor’s appointment you’ve been avoiding. Maybe it’s choosing to move your body in some way — any way — even on the days when everything aches.
Fighting the old is not about chasing youth.
It’s about honoring the life God has entrusted to you and stewarding this body so you can keep saying “yes” to whatever He has planned for you.
The Sedentary Reality Check
There’s something else I’ve had to admit to myself this month: I have been sitting entirely too much.
I’ve heard the phrase, “sitting is the new smoking,” used to describe the risks of a sedentary lifestyle. While that comparison isn’t exactly correct, the message behind it certainly got my attention: our bodies were designed to move.
My Friday gym sessions have become non-negotiable—but one workout a week cannot undo hours and hours of sitting. The rest of my week has been far too sedentary, and my body, especially my very tight hips, has been reminding me of that in ways I can no longer ignore.
So here’s what I’m working on outside of the gym:
- Hip mobility exercises
- Standing up and moving more intentionally (“exercise snacks”)
- Short walks, even when they’re brief (this is still a big work in progress)😊
- Getting back to the nature trail consistently
- Finding small ways to add movement to ordinary moments
I first heard the term “exercise snacks” from biomedical scientist Dr. Rhonda Patrick on the podcast, The Mel Robbins Show. She describes them as short bursts of movement—about 9 to 10 minutes—that can support better health. That idea really resonated with me because it feels doable. Instead of waiting for the perfect time to exercise, I can build movement into my day and avoid sitting for hours.
The truth I keep coming back to is that wellness isn’t just what we do during our workouts. Wellness is how we care for our bodies throughout the entire day.
If you’ve been feeling discouraged because you can’t fit in long workouts, let this be your reminder: every bit of movement counts. A short walk. A few stretches. Standing up more often. Small choices, repeated consistently, have a way of adding up over time.
That’s a bigger challenge than I sometimes want to admit—but I’m paying closer attention now. And paying attention has a way of changing how we live.
Still a Work in Progress
Sis, I’m letting you know I’m still figuring all this out, so this definitely isn’t a wellness success story. It’s a wellness honest story.
The nature trail walks have not been consistent. I want them to be. I’m working on it.
My eating, my protein tracking, and my carb cycling haven’t been where I want them to be either. Sometimes I have to remind myself that I’m still grieving the recent losses of close loved ones. Grief has a way of affecting everything—including your appetite, your motivation, and your discipline. I’ve given myself grace for that, but I also know it’s an area I need to recommit to.
Perhaps this resonates with you.
You know, life often has a way of throwing us curveballs, and suddenly, the healthy habits that once felt manageable become difficult to maintain. I hope you’ll give yourself grace—but not permission to give up.
I’m still learning what sustainable wellness looks like for me in this season. And I know that’s okay. I don’t have to have it all figured out. I just have to keep going.
I want you to know that a missed routine does not erase your commitment.
You are not starting over every time life interrupts your plans. You are just continuing on a journey that includes detours, rest stops, and seasons of slower progress.
And all of that still counts.
Joy Is Found in the Journey
3 John 1:2 (AMP) is a powerful verse of scripture I keep meditating on for this wellness series: “Beloved, I pray that in every way you may succeed and prosper and be in good health [physically], just as [I know] your soul prospers [spiritually].
That word “prosper” doesn’t just make me think of a financial blessing. It reminds me of flourishing— doing exceedingly well in body, mind, and spirit. What I love so much about this verse is that it doesn’t separate our physical health from our spiritual health. They belong together.
Joyful June has reminded me that joy is not something I find when everything is finally fixed. Joy is something I practice while I’m still in the middle of the mess.
Joy is choosing to show up for my Friday lifting session even when I don’t feel like it, especially when grief is sitting heavy on my chest.
Joy is doing my hip mobility exercises and fighting the old — one stretch at a time.
Joy is also admitting I haven’t been walking as consistently as I’d like and deciding to try again tomorrow instead of giving up entirely.
Perhaps that’s exactly where you are right now, too.
Maybe you’ve been waiting for the right conditions to start taking care of yourself. Have you been telling yourself you’ll get serious about your health when things settle down, when stress decreases, or when the season changes?
Please don’t tell yourself that. It’s a trap that can lead to complacency. Just take things one step at a time—even if it’s slow at first. Slow steps can be better than no steps at all.
What if joy — and wellness — could begin right where you are?
Your June Joy Challenge
For the next 7 days, try this: write down one thing each day that brought you joy. It doesn’t have to be big. It could be a song that lifted your mood, a moment of stillness, a workout you completed, a meal you enjoyed, a memory that made you smile, or a conversation that made you laugh.
Joy grows when we start noticing it.
Life is a faith journey. Walk boldly.
💜 Be encouraged—your progress counts, even when it’s imperfect.
💜 Be intentional about caring for the body God has entrusted to you.
💜 Be joyful enough to keep showing up, even when life keeps life-ing.
If this wellness check-in met you where you are, you don’t have to walk this journey alone.
I share weekly blog posts for women navigating faith, purpose, and the messy middle of life—right where God is still writing the story.
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— Tami Zanele
