Playtime is important. It stimulates our minds and keeps us healthy.

But play shouldn’t just be for kids.

Too often we are embarrassed to have fun. We worry what others will think or how we look. This week I found the importance of just letting go and cutting loose while playing basketball with my boyfriend at the Rec.

I hadn’t played basketball since grade school.

I probably looked like an idiot, and for a while I felt like one, but then I realized that I didn’t care. I felt free – like a kid again. I was enjoying myself and laughing.

I’m not the most coordinated person and I can be very awkward, although I love to dance. I always find myself over-thinking and analyzing situations instead of just having a good time with my friends.

I know some loved ones who are so preoccupied with their appearance or lack of athletic ability, that they even find it embarrassing to walk my dog around the block with me. They fear judgment.

What I found is that it doesn’t matter what others think. If you want to be active, then be active. The first step to getting in shape is getting off the couch. Yes, someone might see you red and gasping for air after running a few blocks (been there), but you made the first step and did something for yourself.

So the next time you see someone exercising or playing a sport don’t judge them. Even if they are struggling, they already beat the biggest hurdle, their fear.