I HATE SWEATING AND EXERCISING

I hate exercise. I hate to sweat. I’ve always felt that way. For most of my life, if you’d used gym and my name in the same sentence, it would not have included me sweating or exercising. I would have had to be there for some other reason like my sons’ basketball games.

            I still hate exercise and sweating, but I do it. It all began after I had breast cancer so it would have been some time in the early 2000s. I hurt my shoulder at work and the L&I doctor I saw took one look at my chart and told me,

“We’re not going to treat just your shoulder; we’re going to treat all of you.”

I had no idea what that meant, but I soon learned. I went to work for four hours, had lunch and then reported to this place that no longer exists. There, they MADE ME EXERCISE!!! They called it physical and occupational therapy, but it was exercise, nonetheless. I had to walk on a treadmill, ride a bike, learn how to lift and carry stuff properly and lift weights. I had to do this for four…count em, four (4) hours a day for four (4)…weeks.

When I completed that four weeks, I simply couldn’t stop because I felt so good. My body felt better than it had in a very long time. So, I joined 24-Hour Fitness. Not only did I join, but I got up at 4:30 am and went to the gym. After my exercise and weight lifting, I went back home, showered, got ready for work and went to work. While I still hated sweating and doing it, I actually found myself looking forward to the quiet time in the gym and feeling refreshed once I finished.

Not only that, but I even went to the gym on days off and weekends. I remember John chastising me for going to the gym.

“I don’t understand why you keep doing this. You’re just going to wear yourself out.”

I couldn’t get him to understand that I wasn’t wearing anything out, I was making it stronger to last longer.

When I retired, I not only continued to go, but hired a trainer for a while so he could help me with some things I wanted to make/do better. 24-Hour Fitness screwed up my membership somehow, so I stopped going. Instead, I went back to getting up early in order to walk with a neighbor. We’d walk her husband to the bus, continue on and return home in an hour or so…a bit over 6000 steps to begin the day. Her husband’s retired now too and sometimes he walks with us. Plus, we don’t have to get up at crack of dawn now. 

In years past, we’ve walked rain, snow, sleet, sun, whatever the weather gods tossed at us. This past year, I’ve been a bit more choosy. I’m not willing to walk in a monsoon or when it’s freezing and I could slip and fall. Still, we walk most mornings and the exercise does us good, as does the chit-chat we share.

In addition to walking, a couple of years ago, I noticed the Senior Center offered an Enhanced Fitness class and that my medical provider would pay for it. I decided to give it a try and found I really liked the instructor and the class. For 30 minutes, she makes us march and move around to various music to get our heart rates up. For the next 30 minutes, we slow it down and do strength training. By the time we’re done, I’m all sweaty…yuk…but I feel ever so much better.

Last year I had shoulder surgery, so it was months before I could return to my exercise class. I continued to walk, but you don’t use your arms much for that. Instead, I had a physical therapist appointment every week and was given new exercises each and every time. Let me tell you, those exercises hurt a lot.

My PT appointments finally stopped the end of November, by my PT continues each and every day. You see, I find if I do those stretches, both of my arms feel better, as does the rest of me. When I do the calf stretches, my calves don’t seem to hurt as much on my walk as they do if I fail to get them done. My posture also seems better, there’s less tingling in my hands and fingers, and I just feel taller, stronger and much much better than on the days I fail to do those fifteen (15) lousy minutes of physical therapy.

I guess the point of this whole post is to recognize the fact that I know (as I’m sure all of you do as well) putting in a little bit of time doing something I don’t like very much pays off with great benefits. I guess you could say this post is sort of a “talking to” to myself about being more attentive to my body’s needs on an every single day of the week basis.

If you aren’t an exerciser/walker, may I be so bold as to suggest you get off your duff and begin…you won’t be sorry you did. Take it as the truth from an exercise/sweat hater.