It’s a challenge many Baby Boomers and seniors face all the time. When exercise causes pain, you just don’t want to do it! This is the dilemma I’ve lived with increasingly for the past few weeks. With bone-on-bone arthritis in my left hip, I’d just about given up on activity. Walking (my go-to cardio) was just too painful and uncomfortable, and I was afraid to further aggravate my hip at the gym.
Giving In To The Pain
So I sat, felt miserable and starting watching my fitness level go down. I knew better, obviously! But even if I pushed past the pain during exercise, related aches in my leg kept me up at night–not acceptable.
Realizing I was heading towards a bigger-sized pair of pants soon, and that I would be heading into hip replacement surgery in less than stellar physical condition, I finally realized I needed to do something. What would I tell my clients? Look for an exercise that doesn’t hurt your hip! Of course.
Looking For Acceptable Movement
So I started swimming. This is excellent non-weight-bearing exercise that gets my heart pumping. But the community pool is five minutes away and it’s starting to cool off a bit. And it’s definitely more difficult to “suit up,” drive to the pool, swim laps, come home and shower than it is to lace up my shoes, step out the door and go for a walk.
So I can’t depend on the pool to keep my fitness level up–I just don’t get there enough. That left the gym. After an absence too long for me to confess, I stepped back in and started going on a regular basis last month. My legs definitely have lost strength, and I probably won’t be able to gain all of it back until after the hip replacement.
But the biggest surprise was the stationary bike. I could jump on, gradually up the resistance and get in a fabulous 30-minute workout. Encouraging, but still not as convenient as walking (the gym is a full 15-minute drive from home).
So I thought about buying a stationary bike. But I won’t need it in a few months if all goes according to plan. My next idea: see if I could rent one. Unfortunately, a quick internet search came up with nothing close by.
The Light Bulb Goes Off!
And then the proverbial “box” that was constraining my brain exploded: I have an expensive bike gathering dust in my garage. I can turn that into my very own special stationary bike!
This past weekend, my husband and I cleaned that bicycle. Then I went to research stands (they call them “trainers” in the biz) at the local bike shop. Voila, for a reasonable price, I could order a device that converts my snazzy road bike into my convenient, step-out-my-back-door-to-the patio cardio machine! Now I can pedal after breakfast, during writing breaks or after dinner while watching the sun set.
No More Excuses!
What’s causing you to cut back on your exercising? I challenge you to think outside the box and find something that works to keep you healthy!
For more ideas to help you exercise through your wellness challenge, give me a call!
We can discuss some practical tips and discover if any of my programs or classes are a good fit for you.
If you’d like to schedule that call with me, just CLICK THIS LINK, and let me know in the message that you would like a 1-on-1 call with me right away and I will be in touch to schedule that – oh, and leave me your phone number in there too since email is not as reliable as it used to be! Thanks.