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.