Chubby Mommy

Five-time Olympic competitor and the oldest woman to have ever been on the U.S. Swim Team, silver medalist Dara Torres is an inspiration to men and women of all ages. But considering that she had retired eight years ago, and gave birth a mere two years ago, she’s certainly inspiring women over 40 with her “age is just a number” mindset.

After one glance at her muscled, powerful body even I found myself thinking, “Hey, I might not get that cut but I could certainly try!” Apparently, I’m not the only one. Torres is inspiring a return to exercise among women and men alike.

Of course, Torres isn’t alone. Plenty of folks have been watching the athletes and admiring the skill, stamina and prowess. Fitness chains are reporting a boom in gym membership in the States. But even in Britain, which will host the 2012 games, there’s a call to use the upcoming events to motivate people to shed pounds (and not just the monetary kind).

But as I stand here on my treadmill huffing and puffing away while blogging I just don’t find NBC’s daytime lineup of soap operas and legal shows to be very inspiring.

Those nice, shiny gold medals may only be worth $215 in dollars but as morale boosters they’re priceless. Somehow, though, I think I might look a bit silly were I to start awarding myself trophies for every 100 miles walked.

So, how do you reward yourself for sticking with your fitness routine?