more exercise

I posted this on my guai forum. Thought I'd post it here for a record.


I have felt for a couple of weeks that I should share my exercise experience in case they may help someone else. I started using Lifeworks, my gym, in January 2005. This gym has all the machines, bikes, cardio, etc. But I went because it had a regular pool (83 degrees), a warm pool (93 degrees), and a hot tub. I pretty much wasn't able to move at that time. My husband and I decided that although $50 a month was a lot of money for us, that I needed to do SOMETHING to help my fibro besides taking a zillion meds, which left me well enough as long as I stayed in bed.

My initial goal was to go twice a week to hang out in the warm pool and the hot tub. I didn't have to do anything in the water except move my arms or legs if I felt that I could. Some days, all I did was hang on a noodle for 45 minutes. But, I HAD to go, that was the rule. I'd be so exhausted after hanging, that I had to sit down to shower. And take a break between washing my hair and rinsing. I would drive home and be in pain for a day and a half. That's STUPID. I didn't do anything to deserve such pain. But I had to admit, the warm and hot water felt delicious, even on days that I couldn't move. I worked up to an hour three times a week. I would see all the old ladies doing their water exercise class and knew that I couldn't do it. That's okay, I said, you just have to show up. One time, it was feeling so good that I hung on the noodle for an extra 45 minutes to an hour. I mean, I wasn't DOING anything. Mistake. Even just hanging in the water, you are making minute adjustments to the action of the waves when other people move. I hurt a lot after that time, but it taught me that just hanging there WAS a workout.

Within a few months, I could walk in the warm pool for a short time. It was probably10-15 feet across. Some days I did a few lengths, somedays, I would just hang. I remember some times that I was so exhausted at the end that the keypad to get into my locker to get my shower stuff would be a trial. Because my fingers would "stutter" in fatigue. It still took me a day and a half to recover.

Probably in that first year, the warm pool was crowded doing "laps". So, I would go to the regular pool, regulation length, and walk a lap or more. Then, my reward was to go to the warm pool to hang out. And the hot tub. As I got better at doing the walking laps, I spent more time in the regular pool and less in the warm pool. I was up to an hour now, and it only took me a day to recover.

In the summer of 2007, I got the bright idea that the swimming wasn't really helping. We also could use the $50 at home. So, I stopped. What a giant colossal mistake. My shoulders and neck tightened up. My hips and back raged. I needed a backrub/massage from my hubby nearly every night. But, at least I learned. I rejoined in October.

I started doing some swimming. My goal was 4 laps, using 4 different strokes. That way, I figured, I would be using lots of different muscles. Wow, that was harder than I thought. I had to stop every length to get my breathing and heartrate back. It felt awful. But I did it. Then straight to the warm pool and hot tub. No energy for anything else. Sit down showers. Eventually, I could walk the big pool after the 4 swimming laps. When I walked a fair amount, I knew that I could add some more swimming and less walking. Good days and bad, still. And all I HAD to do was come and hang in the warm pool. No excuses to not show up. I did the breaststroke, the elementary backstroke, the sidestroke, and the back crawl, I could not and still cannot do the front crawl. Every time I do, I get tendonitis (tennis elbow) in my right arm.

I started Guai in 2008.

Now, I swim 36 laps per session, 3 times a week. That's 1 MILE, folks. I feel so proud of myself when I do it. Every four laps, I move the kickboard to keep count. Yet, sometimes, I still have to talk myself up. "You just have to do twelve laps if you are really feeling bad." "If I did 12, I could do 18--that's half a mile!" If I did 20, I could do 24--that's 2/3 of a mile. If I got to 24, go to 28. From 28, it's 2 laps till the thirties. From 32, why in the world wouldn't I do the whole 36? It only works because I know I can do 36. If I had to quit at 12, that's ok, cause I did 12. I don't want to sound like I am encouraging people to go beyond what their body says to do. It only works for me because I know I can do it. It usually only needs a good night's sleep to recover. I can do easy things right after until bedtime. Sometimes, I just lay in bed and read.

On mondays, I shop for groceries afterward. I am thinking of starting machines on Tuesday/Thursday. Or a DVD at home. I can do some more now, I think.

I remember when I could only do one thing per day with the rest of the day to recover. And that would be a small store, not a walmart or a costco.

Start moving, folks, even if all you can do is hang in the pool. You will be amazed to see where it will get you. I don't believe that guai alone will get you where you want to be. You have to move.