Wellness

[Sweetbay magnolia]

I've re-defined my definition of "working out".

I spent many years working as a sales laborer (nursery/landscape) and teaching high impact aerobics.

My back and other joints have begun to deteriorate.  I now lift light weights and walk, and try to make the most everyday has to offer as regards to activity. Talking on the telephone, I may stretch or do leg lifts.  Ab crunches in the grocery line.  As Moshe Feldenkrais teaches, every move with intention, but none wasted.

I have wasted more time recovering from injury than I may gain from efficient and proper treatment of my body and what it can do.

Good luck!❤️❤️❤️

[phoenixbrd]

@Sweetbay magnolia   Love this...our conscious decisions count, our mind/what we think is everything.

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@Sweetbay magnolia wrote:

 As Moshe Feldenkrais teaches, every move with intention, but none wasted.

I have wasted more time recovering from injury than I may gain from efficient and proper treatment of my body and what it can do.

Good luck!❤️❤️❤️

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[Laura14]

@ANewHue   Even thoughs of us who work out get into a rut and need to start over too.  Never be fearful of improving yourself or your life.  You go for it and don't look back! 

[m0rgan]

If you can start out with a personal trainer for a couple of months.  It will keep you going because you have to pay whether you show up or not.  Also the personal trainer will give you exercises to help with your particular problems and not just overall exercise.  I have done this and kept up with it for two years.  It is expensive but so are workout clubs and I only pay for the trainer and do not have to have the club membership but still work out in the club.  After it all becomes routine you can join the club and forgo the trainer.  I still go to the trainer because I am not disciplined with exercise.  I hate it.

[SilleeMee]

I did it doing baby steps (with the advice of my doctor) and I do have an incurable, chronic and progressive AI disease called scleroderma with limited mobility. 

[phoenixbrd]

@SilleeMee   You are a champ....those baby steps really add up.

[SilleeMee]

(((( @phoenixbrd  ))))  Thank you!

[TeezNu]

“.....exercise got me back to living the best life I could....”  Use this as a mental touchstone for motivation.

I was in great pain, and lost mobility for several years in my early 60's.  My life was essentially over.  With surgery and physical therapy, I got a second chance to live a relatively normal, active life. My gratitude is over the moon.

However, I’m only human.  Whenever I need some motivation, I think back to the rough times, and my journey back to health. I'm out the door in a short minute to bask in the sunshine while I do my exercise “walk of gratitude”, to celebrate my second chance at life.

You got this! ❤️

[violann]

UGH, Fibro.... presently in an enormously stressful phase of life. Sometimes the SHOCK of how much better I feel after some activity is VERY REWARDING.

Hoping you enjoythe same experience, @ANewHue .

EVERY LITTLE BIT YOU CAN DO IS BETTER THAN DOING NOTHING!

[hckynut]

@ANewHue 

I have practically written my own Autobiography on this forum about my serious illnesses, along with recovery after recovery after recovery. Spent the best part from 2002-2016 recovering from 1 setback after another.

First I must tell you I have been into Physical Fitness since the late 1960's. Playing ice hockey was my primary(physical) type of love. From that came my running to help my Cardio for hockey.

From there I learned to love just running, just for running. Ran 10k races almost every weekend, and worked up to 2 full marathons(I was over 50), 1 mile/2mile/5k/10k, and half marathons. Well, as life would have it!

In 2002 I was diagnosed with PE(lung blood clots), 9 days in the hospital on an IV drip of Hephrine. Then put on Coumadin(Warfarin). Lucky to survive 1st round, but 6 months later? Had PE once again and another 8 days in the hospital, same IV Drip.

Recovering pretty well, but!  Had my 1st Heart Attack, not bad enough, but when combined with Aspiration Pneumonia? Had it not been for my level of fitness and large lung capacity? I doubt I would be typing this.

Enough of my history, even though there are many many more. In short, each setback left me starting from ZERO  fitness level. Work up for a few weeks or maybe a little longer, then BAM, back in the hospital, for at times up to 5 weeks.

My best friend in recovery? Optimism and a lot of it. Year after year after year, recover part way and then BAM!  Then came 2015-2016.

I started walking on 1 of my treadmills. Started at 2mph for 2 minutes each day. Increased it to 3 minutes the next week and so on. Increased speed to 2.2 after a month and on and on for over a year. I told my wife, "hey, nothing has set me back and I am now in fairly good shape for a guy 78"!  Maybe I will try ice skating once again.

I did, and after ice skating/playing hockey, and being a hockey referee for over 30+ years? I could not even stand up on the ice with my skates on. Fell and broke a Right Upper Rib, and then had a long talk with myself. "John, at 78, do you really want to punish yourself more"? 

Yes, I put my skates away, went to Balance Physical Therapy for 12 weeks, along with doing balance exercises at home, every single day, for 30-45 minutes. 

Didn't even look at my skates for about 4 months, then decided to give it another go. Little by little/fall after fall, I was regaining some of my skating skills. I went skating(still do) 2-3 times a week with each session being 2 hours. I now get "are you a professional/will you teach me how to XYZ"?

Was/Is any of this easy?  Almost 14 years of pretty much "illness/recovery/illness/recovery", without my best friend OPTIMISM?  None of this would have been possible, and I am now getting darned close to 80.

I've outlined how I recovered after my many "Starting Overs", what you do with the info I have tried to detail here, the ball is in your hands.

All I can do is wish you the best in your journey.

hckynut(john)