It takes a real man to take personal training orders from a baby. Thank goodness Michael Stansbury was up to the task.
The Lakeland, Tennessee, father of four recently posted a video titled, “The Lilly Ann Workout” to YouTube, and more than 900,000 views later, it’s proving a good plank knows no age.
Stansbury told TODAY that his wife, Deidra, was doing a workout DVD at home with the couple’s 5-year-old son, Brayden, when Lilly Ann, their nearly 7-month-old daughter, started busting out her own planks and Superman moves.
“We thought it was hysterical,” he says. “We took a couple pictures of it and one day I decided to get down on the floor with her and the iPad and just see what she would do and mimic her movements.”
Stansbury says he originally shared the video on his Facebook page, and after it received a slew of “likes” and shares, his brother suggested he post it on YouTube. “We’ve watched it go from 3,000 to 5,000 to 10,000 views and it has not stopped,” he says. “It is pretty wild.” Fitness is important for the family, which also includes Collin, 11, and Kaitlyn, 9.
“We’re really about putting the right fuel in our bodies and setting an example for our kids,” said Stansbury, who does CrossFit three to four times a week.
Besides starting Lilly Ann on a path to wellness at an early age, the video gives the family a precious moment to share with their daughter for years to come.
“We’ll be able to show her this when she is 14 or 15 and she’ll get a big kick out of it,” he says. “It’s pretty cool.”
Lesley Kennedy writes for ShopAtHome.com. Follow ShopAtHome on Twitter and Lesley on Google+.