Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Start From Where You Are

  Today I saw an elderly gentleman at the gym doing his work out. He was walking on the treadmill, and he was moving very slowly, both hands gripping the sides for balance. It was striking how slow his pace was, but his form was good. Standing straight and tall, his hips were square, his feet straight. He looked good. I started wondering what it had taken for him to get himself to the gym that day. Did he wake up with painful joints? Had he gotten enough sleep last night? So many elderly have a hard time getting to sleep. He was slow, but he was there by golly! He inspired me.


  I pretty much operate from the “use it or lose it” school of thought. For the most part( I know some cases where this is not true) I think its better to stay active and use whatever functionality you have even if it’s limited, because to stop doing an activity can often mean losing that ability. One of the most prevalent examples of this that I see everyday is people who lose the ability to walk any kind of distance. For one reason or another they have stopped walking and over the years have come to a place where they can barely walk across the room. Coming back from that kind of situation is nearly insurmountable for some people. It’s not that it can’t be done, but it’s hard. And there’s often more than one factor contributing to the problem, such as obesity, inflammation, or back pain.

  So, like the elderly man at the gym, one simple strategy is to make sure you keep doing the things you can do. Start from where you are. If you are only able to walk at a snail’s pace, then walk at a snail’s pace. If walking to the mailbox is all you can do, then keep doing that. Try to walk to the mailbox everyday, and then a little bit more until you can double the distance. You get the picture. Whatever function or activity you think may be jeopardized, try to maintain doing it. Then you can work on a strategy to improve on that.

  I try to remember “ …a journey of a thousand miles starts with one step.” Improving and maintaining your functional ability may be as simple as that. Not always easy, but simple.

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