Embrace Your Destiny: What Is Your Goal?

I needed some inspiration to help me zero in on this blog post. My reader  blog comments did the trick. Inspiration washed over me! Thank you for taking time to comment.

What I strive for everyday is to feel good, happy and motivated. Sometimes before breakfast and hot yoga, I notice aches, pains and worries. Getting locked into my daily routine of yoga, weight work, piano practice, and healthy eating fixes all my issues. 

During this pandemic, it’s more important than ever to remain positive.  A special edition on Multiple Sclerosis of Brain and Life Magazine came in the mail recently. It was packed full of information about the disease that validated everything I do. Furthermore, since I have the Primary Progressive type of MS, I should be slowly deteriorating. My husband Donnie agrees with me that I’m not. i feel better, walk better, have more energy and can do more than when I started this journey twenty years ago.

Let me explain. 

My blog posts highlight different kinds of exercise I do. Hot yoga is everyday supplemented with weight training and aerobic exercise. i decided a long time ago that exercise is something I can control. It gives me an immediate feeling of well being. Exercise is regularly referenced in popular health and scientific literature as being essential for managing all neurological diseases. Brain and Life Magazine has one or more articles about exercise in each issue.. 

Yoga with all the benefits of stretching, meditation and strength improvement has become the centerpiece of my program. Since Covid 19 and doing hot yoga at home, we have added an Infrared lamp which gets the room hotter and has healing benefits. I am always stiff when I begin the 90 minutes program. Sometimes, I have specific hurts.  By the end of the 20 minutes warm-up, I feel completely different. The next 70 minutes fly by. By the end, my body feels like it’s floating on air. It’s quite addictive!

I have worked out with weights at the gym for years with no results. Now, I’m finally getting results. Why? I believe having a certified trainer who plans exercise routines for me that fit my goals is the reason. 

MS is an insidious disease. Muscles atrophy on the sly. All of a sudden daily movement becomes challenging.  For example, my core, legs, ankles and feet, and even hands and forearms have lost strength. Walk on tip toes? Can’t do that now. Some loss is due to aging, but not all. As I find areas of weakness, my trainer gives me exercises to help strengthen the muscle group. With regular gym work, I’m seeing improvement in everything. If I want to, I can take a walk, cook dinner and still enjoy the evening with ease.

Walking is my preferred aerobic exercise. I love getting outside everyday. I keep track of my distance. When I’m feeling good, I can walk up to a mile and a half at one time. Other days, my legs feel like dead weights. Donnie will take my hand so I can focus on moving my feet and legs properly.

What do you want? Do you have movement limitations that affect your quality of life? My goals are to feel good and have no more falls. What I’m doing is sustainable for me. I figure  exercise is hard work,  but there are no bad side effects. Plus, I have more energy, improved balance, coordination, and strength. Best of all, I'm not so fearful of falling. 

My mission for writing this blog is to share what I have learned about managing MS for twenty years. It is always reassuring to read articles from MS specialists who recommend doing exactly what I am doing. Do you agree, disagree, or have questions or suggestions? Please keep them coming. I love hearing from you.