I just realized, around this time 13 years ago, I had a little stroke.
It’s been a journey to learn how to take better care of my body and my one and only heart. On the cusp of age 60, I’m presently on the couch, trying to get over a cold that has my little derrière kicked.
I was very militant about my food and exercise for about 7 years after the stroke. It got me to a point where I could run 5 miles a day, walk 500 miles with my husband, learn to swim and take up cycling. I quit using sugar in my coffee (2 teaspoons was quite a chunk of sugar in one cup of coffee). I have swapped out white rice to use whole grains like wheat berry, buckwheat, brown basmati rice and quinoa. It was a gradual process, working on one thing at a time to learn to cook with different ingredients and techniques.
I think I have hit a plateau. Injuries have set me back, a head cold that has lasted a week feels foreign, and yet the couch…is familiar.
I was a couch potato extraordinaire in my pre-stroke days. After work, on weekends, I would lie down on the couch and only get up to answer nature’s call or to get more snacks. Sure, I had to take the children out for their activities. That involved snacks too.
Looking back, I wish I had done more. I wish I had walked 30 minutes a day. I lived near two great areas for walking and it took a stroke for me to get out to discover what I had been missing.
Walking 30 minutes sounds so easy. So doable. Yet, why don’t we? Why didn’t I?
We make excuses. We don’t have the time. We have long commutes. We can’t leave the children unattended. We have dishes to wash, laundry to fold, floors to mop…
What it boils down to is, a willingness to look at my daily schedule. What would be the best time to get that walk in to ensure it was a priority. I was never a morning person. Looking at my schedule, it had to be 6am. I could sacrifice 30 minutes of sleep, do some stuff the night before to ensure the morning routine would not skip a beat because I had to go for a walk at 6am. It was the best time for me because, that was the only time I could do it. If I left it to the end of the day, the familiar excuses would be used – too tired, chores, too tired…
My neighbor held me accountable. She said she would walk with me. I could not curl up in bed and let her stand at my front door. She was there at 6am Monday to Friday.
The first walk was difficult. I huffed and puffed and we barely got any distance covered.
Then we went further within the same 30 minutes.
One day, I said “I want to try jogging”
She said “oh in that case, you are on your own”
“Don’t be silly, I’m not talking about jogging for 30 minutes! Just from this tree to that tree”
She indulged me- she watched me. Then somehow…she stopped walking with me. I was jogging…on my own.
Without her, I would not have made the progress. Having someone holding you accountable is critical to accomplishing any goal.
As I lie on the couch writing this, it’s my 7th day on the couch. After 13 years…I’m giving myself permission to let my body rest, get better, and then get back to the work of running, cycling…maybe swimming. I really don’t like swimming very much but someday when I’m a little old lady…I may have to swim for exercise. May that day be far away.
Take care of your one and only heart. Your life depends on it.
HakkaHiker 