Chronic Pain & Exercise

I have EDS. So does my daughter. I beat myself up exercising, wearing myself out for the rest of the day. But I'm looking long-term. I'm going to be a badass active 90 year old mom, not a broken 45 year old.

Exercise. It’s a dirty word. I almost started with “I don’t talk about my chronic pain a lot”. I think I probably bring it up more often than I think. I know I’ve been much more proactive on my Facebook about sharing EDS awareness, as well as general chronic pain information posts. 

For the past eight or so weeks I’ve been making a concerted effort to exercise daily. It took me a year to really start this. It certainly wasn’t an easy choice, but when it was time, BAM! it was time.

I started out every other day. I needed that recovery day in between. I followed a modified workout. But I did it. I even usually made it through the entire 30 minute video. I logged roughly 15 days in September where I exercised. In the long run, it’s not that much. It was 7.5 hours total, out of 720. I mean, it’s 1% of the month. But one is greater than none, and none was what I was doing. 

In October I tried for every day. Right now, I am on day 13 of 21 Day Fix. By the time this is published I might be on day 14 or 15. I’ve taken 2 days off. That’s it. That’s one rest day a week. Day 7 wound up being a rest day, and day 13. I overdid it on day 12. I was feeling so good I did my half hour workout and then did a half hour mile on the treadmill. It was too much. 

I spent that evening in bed with a migraine (unrelated, I think), and I spent the next morning in bed because I hurt so bad. I thought maybe I would sneak in a workout that night, but not so much. 

You bet your ass I was back in the garage, my newly renovated/cleaned out workout space, sweating my ass (and stomach, and thighs) off. 

Today is October 25. I’m not down too many pounds. I didn’t pre-measure, so I don’t know if I am down any inches. Or half-inches. Or millimeters ;) But I feel better. I am having fewer days where I hurt so bad it takes all I have to get up and get dressed, with the caveat that when I do have a day like that now, it’s worse than ever. 

Don’t get me wrong. I always hurt. It’s like an annoying bee buzzing just out of sight. You know it’s there, but you never know when it’s going to strike. When. Not if. Because you know it will eventually. When it does, it means everything else gets put on hold.

I have EDS. So does my daughter. I beat myself up exercising, wearing myself out for the rest of the day. But I'm looking long-term. I'm going to be a badass active 90 year old mom, not a broken 45 year old.

I originally posted that on #transformationtuesday. This is my transformation lifestyle. My #daughter needs me. My #sons need me. This has to be a thing. I tell my daughter she needs to keep her muscles strong so they don’t let her down later, the very least I can do is the same. I have some catching up to do. Let me know if you want to join me.

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