An Odyssey ... of a sort - Part 5 of 6 by KimB

I could still hardly move and I considered my options VERY CAREFULLY. I knew that I needed to do more physical activity or I would just freeze up again. That POP! in my back might not last. I couldn't be sure what it was even. The doctors didn't know either. I knew that I had to do something but I had to be very careful or I might end up worse than before.

Rule #1 – Don't Get Hurt.
Rule #2 - see Rule #1.

So, I worked on the elliptical trainer at the gym in s l o w  m o t i o n. 5 minutes. 10 minutes. Done. You can't move 210 pounds very far, very fast if you want to keep Rule #1: Don't Get Hurt.

I then did something extremely brave. I joined in a class at the gym. I started doing Yoga.

I'd done yoga in the past when my weight rivaled Oprah's but it wasn't too successful. This time I determined that I would not “compete” against anyone, not even myself. I would honor Rule #1 and monitor every move and modify anything that was difficult or might be painful. I would do what was reasonable for ME to do and nothing more.

I moved my goal posts so far in that anything I did would be a “win”. Getting my gear ready. Getting in the car. Driving to the gym. Walking in to the gym. Going into the class. Staying until class was over. It was all WIN, WIN, WIN, WIN.

It's not hard to imagine what a elephant seal would look like doing yoga and that's pretty much what it was like. I didn't work myself into a lather about it. I did what I could. What I couldn't, I set aside. The important thing was I came back the next week and the next week and the next.

After a short while I could see there was improvement. The scale showed it too. Not a lot, just a pound here and there. It was slow but steady and my health was improving.

I knew I couldn't stop there. I needed to do more. I decided to try Zumba. I watched the class work out a few times and I knew that there was no way I could move the way they did. You don't hustle 210 pounds that easily. I was unsteady on my feet and my balance wasn't that great. I thought this might help and it fit Rule #1.

I went to the class and stood in the farthest back corner where I wouldn't get run over by the more agile members. When the music started I waved my hands around; when I remembered, I moved my feet too.

Zumba was amazing. At first I had a very hard time and wanted to stop. It was so intimidating to see people bouncing up and down and moving quickly. I lacked the coordination to do many of the moves and could barely stand up for the whole hour. But I didn't stop. I came back the next week and the next week and the next week.

Soon I found I could do more and my balance improved. I re-labeled Zumba: “My Agility Training Program” and realized I could make it as hard as I wanted. You do all the standard exercises standing up and moving. The first time I was able to balance on one leg for just a few seconds was an amazing experience.

Immobility gives you a perspective on something simple like that. Things were getting better and the scale was showing it.

I had my stretching and my agility programs in place but there was another aspect I needed to add: strength. I went to the cycling class.

I didn't really know much about cycling classes other than they use stationary bikes. I figured I couldn't fall off a stationary bike so that fit Rule #1. In other classes, I could see people hopping up and down on their bikes and I knew THAT wasn't going to happen but maybe I could just pedal... slowly.

So I went to my first class. I didn't know at the time; it was another moment that would change everything.

The instructor helped me adjust the bike and off we went – visually. I waited for the up and down routines to start but that didn't happen. People just hunkered down and pedaled, so I did the same, although a lot slower. Periodically, there was a call out to “add more gear” and a neighbor showed me the lever to shift the gears. I tried Gear 2 but was soon back to Gear 1. I pedaled the whole hour and was fork-tender-done by the end.

I found out that the class I was in, was a road-racing workout class. None of that up and down, hopping around stuff, just bike like you're on the Tour de France. I bought a padded seat from the sporting goods store so my derriere would fit on the bike. I learned about tempo and cadence and sprints and thresholds and climbing. I had fun, so I went back. Each week I could pedal a bit harder and longer. I could see it in the monitor on the bike. I moved from Gear 1 to Gear 2 and then on to Gears 3, 4, 5. Each week I could see my own improvement and now the scale began tilt in the downward direction.

While Rule #1 is the primary rule, I found that “effort” is an aspect that gets ignored in the equation. Effort is not the same as Pain. Effort is uncomfortable and may make you sore the next day but pain is not part of that equation. You need Effort, to get Health. You do not need Pain.

The adage “No Pain - No Gain” is false. Pain stops everything. If you get hurt, you stop. That's the end.

Effort is what makes things happen. You have to try hard things, to do hard things and make the hard things easier. It's effort that powers the bike. It's effort that moves the feet. It's effort that makes the stretch. Without effort, you are spinning in Gear 0, going nowhere; you're racing the engine but missing the staging lights.

Rule #3 = Make an Effort

[Editor's note: This story was written by KimB and is part 5 of a 6 part series.]