Before I got sick, I had an on and off again relationship with working out which seems to be the case for a lot of us who are constantly on and off health journeys. However, there were a couple of times that I got into really good flows before life happened. Once I really enjoyed doing spinning and water aerobics. Another time, I just liked focusing on weights and doing a little cardio. Both of those had effects on my body and I enjoyed doing them.
However, when I got sick, I was told that the only exercise I could do for a long time was to WALK. At first it wasn’t even that they were saying I could go for a walk, it was you can walk from one seat to another. I think this was my doctor’s way of telling me to HAVE A SEAT! This doctor was over my shenanigans because I kept trying to convince him I didn’t need to be admitted my second hospitalization (If I had left, I would have likely died). Yes, I was irrational but a girl had to MOVE.
After a couple years, the reigns were loosened on what I could and could not do but I still had OXYGEN attached to me and it was hard for me to figure out what I could do with my buddy coming along with me. Water aerobics was out of the question initially (I later figured out a way) and so was spin because it was too cardio intense.
This was not even the biggest issue. The biggest issue was getting my MIND to a point where it felt comfortable working out. Psychologically, I had been shocked into believing that my body couldn’t handle working out. It couldn’t at that point because sometimes that walking was TOO MUCH. Now, it was frightening to think about working out and purposefully making myself exhausted. I tried working out at home a few times and it didn’t feel good and the 10 minutes I could do didn’t feel like they were going to be impactful.
I had considered doing yoga and/or pilates once I moved down to New Orleans last year (2017) but never really found a place that made me want to try it out as a newbie. That was until I found Club Pilates. I’ve been able to be comfortable, supported, and have my oxygen while getting a great workout and seeing quick changes. I’ll be telling you more about my time at Club Pilates soon.