Pain always tops the list

When I learnt about the theme for this week’s posts: 5 things about exercise that I could do without, I thought: this is a match made in heaven; I’m all over it.

My first thought was that I could cover at least the first 3 out of 5 things with just talking about PAIN, PAIN, PAIN. Whatever the movement, walking, swimming, getting on the elliptical, I’m always aware of pain somewhere.

I’ve acquired the correct footwear, have learnt lately that I need a knee brace…and sometimes, I’m guessing, I should get a muzzle for my mouth so that I stop with all the whining. After the first few steps, even with my great shoes, I notice that my feet are burning—but have also discovered that after a few blocks or so, once the blood starts to flow, that the pain in my feet will subside…later to pop up with twinges in my knees…then up to that bone on bone feeling in my hips.

Yep, I could turn every walk into a chronicle of how pain travels up and all around, but instead I believe that mind-control and distractions are the keys to get the focus off of ‘Oh my, here’s a new twinge to moan about…’

I realize that this pre-mature pain (in the ass) is of my own doing. I took my body on a decades’ long leave of absence from exercising properly.

The solution for the pain is the painstaking steps needed to build muscle in all those long-forgotten places. I’ve become more and more confident in this body to find its strengths again, and to dredge up the forgotten muscles. Plus there are all kinds of experts and friends to encourage and give support.

The next gripe is having to learn how to sit, stand up and walk all over again. When you’ve been slouching all your life, standing up straight is a form of exercise. I get simultaneous instructions to suck my belly-button into my spine, tilt up my pelvis, retract my shoulders, stick out my butt, keep my feet under the knees, relax my neck—good lord, I get out of breath and dizzy just trying to keep it all straight—and end up looking like a pretzel.

And speaking of loss of breath and dizziness—that’s another thing I can’t abide during exercise. All of a sudden the clammy shakes start and I’ve got an overwhelming urge to sit down and put my head between my knees. The solution? Sit down and put my head between my knees.

So, how am I coping with all this stuff, keeping afloat and staying committed to moving? Knowing that the pain, weakness, confusion and dizziness are all temporary. And it’s not that all the better days lie far off in the distance. There are many moments of laughter and accomplishment; I don’t have to wait for another 693 sunsets before I can experience a feeling of exuberance. Daily occurrences of joy are within my grasp.

[Img.Src: Good Posture]