As you can see, I’m at the gym. Elliptical & stretch this morning.
My physical therapy session yesterday kicked my butt (in a good way). Super sore in my right shoulder & left side of my neck (the areas he focused on) so I’m choosing an easy lower body workout today.
It’s ok if you have restrictions. It’s ok if you have to modify. It’s ok if you can’t be the rock star you really know you want to be, used to be or “could” be. Sometimes it’s ok to just move for the benefit of keeping your mobility as opposed to “killin” a workout.
I used to operate with that mentality – if I didn’t feel like I was gonna die, the workout didn’t “count”. I thank God for the physical challenges he has allowed in my life because I feel it makes me a better coach.
I can identity with physical pain, figuring out how to modify, helping people understand that even if you have a bad knee, back, neck, shoulder, wrist, ankle, foot (all of which I have experienced personally) there are still ways to move your body and find freedom in doing so.
Your body is not a prison. Your body is a gift. We need to appreciate this gift, even if it’s not performing the way we want it to.
We have the power to take care of this gift or accept a few limitations as complete limitations.
I’m always blown away when people tell me “I hurt my wrist so I can’t workout” or “I have a bad back so no exercise for me”.
Friends, and I say this in the most loving way possible. Where there is a will, there is a way!
If you WANT to have physical freedom you can, but you might have to change your view of what a workout is. You might have to get creative and ask yourself: what CAN I do, with these current limitations?
When my back was really bad… and I mean the docs said “you will always walk with a limp. You won’t be able to exercise anymore. Don’t have kids because your back won’t be able to handle the extra weight”
I let myself have a pity party for a few days then I started asking “what CAN I do?” I could do my physical therapy. I could walk in the pool. I could work with my gymnastics coach to learn how to tighten my core so I could tighten my back muscles too.
Within 1.5 yrs not only was my limp gone, I competed in a few more gymnastics meets, then retired ON MY TERMS.
Since then I’ve been in dozens of fitness videos, obtained a black belt and certified hundreds of people in PiYo, Turbo Kick and Hip Hop Hustle.
Before that detrimental back injury (which still plagues me from time to time) I simply ignored physical pain – medicated to get myself through workouts and just thought “it won’t be permanent”, “no pain no gain”. I’m glad to say that God allowed that injury because it would put me on a path of learning how to listen to my body and teach others thus concept as well.
All along this journey I have learned to notice when something is physically too much and it’s forced me to figure out various ways to continue exercising despite an injury.
Here’s the deal. I have issues. LOL don’t we all?
I’m choosing to keep myself as healthy as possible by doing physical therapy (y’all I’ve been doing some form of therapy for 25 yrs!) it works! Do your darn exercises!
If I hadn’t committed to #1 believing in the possibility that I could get better and #2 decided to DO the exercises to make me better I would have never continued my fitness journey. I wouldn’t have gotten a BS in kinesiology. I wouldn’t have worked for Chalene Johnson. I would never had become a coach, started my online business and been able to be a work from home mom.
Thank God for instilling that belief in me that I can overcome.
Now I pass that on to you. YOU CAN OVERCOME!
God bless & have an amazing day!
