Too Hard?

Since I returned from my trip, the thought of exercising  has been the farthest thing from my mind.  It’s been too hard to try to exercise. Upon returning from my trip, I’ve been exhausted and it has taken me about a month to fully recover.  Consequently, I have made no effort to exercise.   And my eating habits, well, they’ve  been atrocious.  Fried food, pizza and sugar have become my new best friends.  Every time I move, it hurts.  It’s a struggle to walk or even lift my right arm. I’m only 56, but I feel like I am 100 years old.  There are probably centenarians who move better than I do right now.   I haven’t wanted to move if I didn’t have to.  I know that some of you know the feeling.   Being inactive is only compounding the problems for me.   By being inactive and not exercising, I’m setting my stage for even less mobility than I have now.

So  Saturday morning as I lay in bed dreading the the pain that was to come with getting out of bed and the impending arrival of my trainer, I made a decision to get my act together and get back on track. I realized that my mindset had to change.  If I continued on the path of making excuses for not exercising, my physical condition would continue to  worsen and I didn’t  want that.  I wanted and want  to physically be where I was before I went to France and continue to improve my mobility to the point of not using a walker or cane.  It’s possible, but  not if I don’t do the work to make it happen.

When my trainer arrived,  I told him how I was feeling and how poorly I had been eating.  He agreed that I needed to do better.  So we came up with a plan to start slowly and increase my exercise each week.  Ugh!   As good as it is for me, I hate to exercise, especially cardio, but it is a necessary evil.  Another important component to improving my physical condition is going to physical therapy which I’ll be starting again soon.

I know it’s going to be hard and uncomfortable because my balance, flexibility and overall mobility are not good. There are days I don’t even want to try because it is so hard to do even the simplest things.    It can be discouraging–discouraging to the point that I want to give up.  But giving up isn’t an option because giving up can lead to wanting people to do things for me instead of me doing what I can do for myself.  I don’t want to lose my independence.   So I have to be patient and kind with myself and just put in the time and effort to exercise.

Whatever your physical mobility may be, if  you’re exercising or doing some physical activity that’s great.  Keep up the good work!   But if you’re not doing some form of physical activity, consider making a change and get moving.  Always, always consult your doctor before you start any exercise program. Physical therapy is always a good way to start.   In the end, exercising will make you feel more energetic, confident and start you on your way to living your best life.