As part of the Michelle Obama’s ‘Let’s Move’ fifth anniversary, the First Lady challenged people nationwide to #GimmeFive. #GimmeFive is meant to encourage people to share five ways they’re living healthy lifestyles.
President Obama joined the challenge when he shared his five favorite healthy habits.
And so the First Lady responded to the President’s challenge to “#GimmeFive FLOTUS-style.” With the help of her personal trainer, Cornell McClellan, Mrs. Obama jumps rope, lifts weights, and beats the hell out of a punching bag in the White House gym.
Both videos are fun to watch, informative, and well done — particularly the First Lady’s. Considering more than one third of all American adults are obese, encouraging Americans to live healthier and exemplifying a fit, balanced lifestyle is a worthwhile cause.
In fact, I’d prefer Mrs. Obama spend more time illustrating ways to incorporate healthy habits into daily routines instead of terrorizing school lunches. The First Lady’s fitness push is the least intrusive initiative she’s championed thus far and also the most germane.
#GimmeFive FLOTUS-Style has been bouncing around the internet since it debuted late Tuesday evening. Troubling though is the way the video has been presented by some outlets.
“Watch Michelle take the ‘lady’ out of first lady” wrote one site. “GROSS” lead the headline in another. The comments were no better and often alleged the First Lady maintained a certain gender ambiguity, though not nearly so delicately.
Objectively Mrs. Obama’s workout video was just that — an informative workout video. Void of political message or any other evil left-wing plot to undermine the Republic, thousands flocked to mock the First Lady’s quite strenuous workout regimen.
The compulsion to vomit vitriol on anything bearing the “Obama” name is unfortunate. For everything the Obama’s are and are not as leaders of the (once) free world, they remain as human and “like us” as the next family. Life is far too short to view everything through the political lens, especially exercise.
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