“I just want to be healthy,” Meg said, gently placing her hand on her pregnant belly. Her message resonated loud and clear with the four friends who surrounded her at the InDependent leaders’ retreat in North Carolina last weekend.

We spent four days in the Appalachian mountains, making plans for InDependent and getting to know each other’s wellness goals. Each of us has our own unique health philosophies. Kimberly is a yogini and lifelong vegetarian frustrated by a slowing metabolism as her 40th birthday draws near. Emira, on the other hand, is a twenty-something fitness trainer and competitive body builder. Their workout types and protein sources contrast drastically, yet both agree that healthy looks different on everyone. (And that green smoothies are delicious!)

Point being, we’re all paving our own wellness paths. Yours looks different than mine, and mine looks different than hers. This is the beauty of InDependent. No matter where you’re going, we exist to support and encourage you along the way. Together, we want to help you find the best version of you.

Hopefully over the past year and half you’ve found support from our team and the peers we’ve recruited to help. Proudly, InDependent is comprised of more than 50 fitness trainers, nutrition advisors, and wellness advocates eager to help bust through the barriers and hardships that accompany military life.

If you haven’t done so already, request to join our private Facebook groups. They are chock-full of helpful resources and lively discussions.

Next up, we’re launching InDependent events. Starting May 4, join us for the virtual Run to Thrive 5K. Register here and then notify us by tagging #runtothrive on your social media. Let’s see how many military installations we can represent throughout the world.

Then, in Fall 2015, we’re teaming up with Army Wife Network to host a virtual military spouse health and wellness summit, title sponsored by USAA Educational Foundation! This event is going to rock your world. Be the first to learn of the exciting details by signing up to receive our newsletter.

Last but not least, behind the scenes, we’re working really hard to build our InDependent communities and programs. A Kansas State University research team is helping us collect survey and focus group data to build evidence based programs for military spouses. It’s a slow process indeed, but well worth the effort. InDependent is on the verge of a revolutionary movement and we’re so glad to have you along for the ride.

Moving forward, we want to know what inspires you to thrive. Contact us today to learn how you can get involved, and then tell your friends and family about the InDependent mission to create a thriving community of military spouses that supports preventative wellness by inspiring each other to make health and fitness a priority. “Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much.” — Helen Keller

And remember, healthy looks good on you!