I Don't Want to Feel Good, I Want to Feel Great!

Right now I’m feeling an urgency to physically and mentally feel the best I can as I approach my 55th birthday in September. Strength and mobility are very important as we age and I had a bit of a wake up call several months ago.

My First Mistake

I had been experiencing hip pain, probably partly because I’d been driving more than normal to support the high school and middle school mountain bike team that I direct. Life was busy, as it always is, and I had let my posture therapy exercises fall to the side. I knew I should have been doing them, but I just didn’t make the time. That was my first mistake. 

My Second Mistake

So, one busy afternoon in between running errands for the Mountain Bike team party, I decided to wash my dusty car. I bent over to clean one of the wheels, and my hip and back spasmed like I’d never experienced before. Being me, I managed to complete the car washing and the other two errands for the party, which was my second mistake, and probably made the pain that much worse. I couldn’t even get out of the car by the time I got home, and needed my son’s help to get me into the house. 

The first thing I did was lie on my back in my living room with my legs up on an ottoman since I know that’s the best way to get my hips back into alignment. It was too little too late. I was stuck in that position most of the time for days afterward. I managed to get a tele-health appointment with a doctor and was told “it happens all the time to women my age” and was prescribed a muscle relaxant.

It took me a week before I could get into the car at all and longer before I felt I could do more than walk down the block. I hope I’ve learned my lesson, because it’s fine if back pain and spasms is a common occurrence for women my age, but I don’t want it to be a common occurrence for me.

Getting Back on Track

Once I could move again, I got back to working my way through the progression of exercises Sue gave me. I’ve definitely noticed a difference, and I was even (mostly) comfortable on a ten-hour flight. The exercises only take about 15 minutes a day, and I’d much rather put that time in daily than spend a week laid up in agony. It’s not just about avoiding pain, though, it’s about feeling great. 

I know that as I age, my body is going to start surprising me with all sorts of things. Last year I found out I had high cholesterol and I’m also going through menopause. Twenty-year-old me had no idea what was in store down the road! I’ve always been a healthy person, but I’m making feeling my best even more of a priority now. Exercise, food, gut health, you name it - I want to make my next decades the best yet, and I’ll be sharing everything with you along the way.