A NEW YEAR, A NEW WAY, A NEW YOU

In December, 2008 - two years ago - I wrote this blog article: (Please scroll down to my NEW article)

Are you confined to your bed or mobile only on your scooter or a wheel chair? Don't give up.

Why are you confined? Is it mostly because of weight? Does it hurt you to walk? Are you unable to transfer yourself from bed to scooter?

If these are true for you, consult your physician and ask if you can stand for a few minutes each day. Unless you have an ailment that will be made worse by weightbearing (like a broken ankle), you'll be allowed to stand for a few minutes each day. This counts as a walk.

Get yourself positioned so that if you MUST sit down and can't remain standing for your 90 seconds, you can ease yourself down. Falling is not allowed!!!!! Standing is the first component to walking. Can't walk if you can't stand. Can't run if you can't walk. First things first. Work on that standing.

WHAT IF IT HURTS? Guess what! It's gonna hurt anyway, so why not put up with the minutes of pain to regain your mobility. It can be done. It has been done. YOU CAN DO IT.

Stand, walk, walk faster, walk longer. Do what you can. No one is judging you or tracking your progress unless you post on this site and want to keep track. Tracking is a good tool - but is not required. It's just a tool. Mobility is YOUR goal. Walking will come.

REMEMBER - it's about feeling better. I'm not here to judge or poke. Just to encourage and remind you WHAT IS POSSIBLE. Probable is up to YOU.

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This article of mine came to mind the other day when I was talking to my sister in law, G. G is a dedicated walker. She has been walking for years and walks aggressively every single day. Lately, she has been greatly hampered by disabling plantar fasciitis. She has done everything several doctors have suggested, including discontinuing her walking and exercising. She has gained a lot of weight and feels rotten. I feel rotten for her. She feels that she is wasting time just sitting around when she could/should be doing a lot more. That part is not for me to say. No judgment here.

Walking isn't just for the miles we walk. For all of us, it's for our mental/emotional well-being. We all call it our 'therapy'. For many of us, it's also a requirement for maintaining a healthy weight and control of things like blood pressure and blood glucose levels. For G, it's all of these. She feels disabled. She misses walking with her sister and she misses the state of wellness she had come to take for granted.

I had suggested that she visit an accupuncturist who had given me relief from a different pain but who had successfully treated two friends for plantar fasciitis. If you're not familiar with plantar fasciitis, you're really lucky. It's a very painful condition that typically affects the heel area and is worse in the morning upon arising. There's not really much that helps it, although wearing a splint that lengthens the heel tendons during sleep and anti inflammatory medications work for some people as do hot and cold soaks and massage. But, no guarantee of decreasing the pain. For a fortunate few, the condition fades away. For others, it's a life long issue.

When I was talking to G. on the phone the other day, it occurred to me to suggest that, it's gonna hurt anyway, so take some pain killers and get back to walking. She has an appointment scheduled with the accupuncturist, but she's miserable NOW. She wants to walk NOW. I don't know if you can make the condition worse by continuing to walk, but you can certainly make other conditions better by walking.

G. has decided to stay off her feet (a relative term for a woman who is expecting 25 people for a meal on New Year's Day!) and wait to see if the accupuncture will give her any relief. If not, she'll bit the bullet and go back to a walking regimen, using pain medication if necessary.

I know G. She's been my SIL for 40 years! She is a determined woman and I believe she'll do whatever it takes to get her life back. For her, that means walking to maintain her physical health and walking to maintain her emotional health. She's like a person in the article from 2008. She must stand first. That means maybe taking it slow for a while, taking pain meds, and giving herself a break. She'll do it! What about you? Who will you be in 2011 - a walker or a sitter?







***************************Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude. You can trust the information you find here. It's from a dedicated walker. Trust me and your life will get better! I promise.