Embrace Your Destiny: Hard Work Pays Off

Working at the big cable machine

I have been working with a trainer at Gold's Gym for fourteen months. Lacey Blanton worked with me thirteen of those months on my goals of strengthening core,  posture and of course, walking. She has passed me on to another trainer who she says can take me to the next level.
Evan Camboy is my new trainer. In my first session, he began by  analyzing what I can do to determine where we needed to begin. Not surprisingly he identified the same issues of abduction, core strength, and leg strength that Lacey had been concentrating on. 





What the research says:

Early in the year

In this blog post, I will share what the research says about patients with MS. I will also share  my understanding of the research and how that has all played out in my experience with exercise. 

It has always been interesting to me that I never have felt muscle fatigue after any exercise since the beginning of this journey. Early on the physical therapist explained that neurons the brain sends out to the muscle struggle to get over the synapses in the nerves. I think what must happen is that the targeted muscle may be slow to fire or simply never get the message to fire. The most interesting example I can explain from my experience is use of my hamstring. Four years ago, I would tell my foot to kick back and up. It might move six inches, with a lot of effort. After four years of sending mental messages and using the hamstring everyday in several yoga postures, I can almost kick my foot back and pick it up. The problem for me is having to balancing on the other leg. I'm using a walker for assisting me do that in yoga.

There is a lot of research reported in the MS website that helps explain this phenomenon. One is about forming habits and how long that takes. All the research mentions the benefits of exercise, physical therapy and continuity of practice as making a difference. One article reported that a dormant muscle, like my hamstring,  learn to respond from muscles that do get the message that surround the area. It takes time and concentrated effort, but I can see that eventually it does work. I firmly believe that yoga practice helps develop the discipline and patience to keep working despite the very slow progress.

I would remind you that I have the Primary Progressive form of MS. What I have learned about this form of MS is that the symptoms are manageable. Some of the symptoms are actually improving through consistent hard work. Certainly balance, chronic pain, mood, and walking are much improved because of daily attention to yoga, and other forms of exercise. I see steady, slow improvement in most all symptoms. What I did glean from the literature is that time being incapacitated with the relapsing remitting form of MS, is a big set back for the body. Exercise appears consistently in the literature as being a positive intervention for all forms of MS.

One leg, stand up row

I have never had an exacerbation. I know there are different levels of how MS effects each person. In my experience, I can account for maybe three times in the 18 years when I did not feel able to get up and do some form of exercising. Also, since I have always done running, hiking, bicycling, swimming or gym exercise, I have no way to know what my condition would be now had I not been committed to exercise.

Improvements I have experienced with a trainer:

Evan Camboy, Trainer

I enjoy working with my trainer. I get a new hour long workout each week. I keep a notebook with all the copies of these workouts and will pick one to do each day I go to the gym. Several complete strangers at the gym have commented to me that they have noticed tremendous changes. This makes me feel really good that others notice what I think is true. Here are specific improvements I have noticed: 

• Core strength improvement resulting in better posture all day.
• Leg strength improvement making walking easier with little or no toe tapping or dragging.
• Hip strength improvement helps going up and down stairs and getting in and out of the car easier.
• Getting up and down off the floor is becoming easier and easier.
• Fatigue of my leg muscles toward the end of the day is lessened.
• Upper body strength helps in dressing and undressing.

After working with Lacey and now Evan, I see that their knowledge of how muscles work together is critical to get improvements. Evan challenges me with exercises that require balance, and strength. This is making a huge difference in core strength. He has also emphasized the importance of working out the knots in each of the muscle groups. He has given me roller and small ball exercises I can do at home when I feel tightness. He recommends isometric exercises to isolate each muscle group in each leg. Finally, he has showed me how to stretch different muscles. When I'm done, I feel like a new person! 

While the MS medicines help slow progression of the disease, physical activity has been critical to for me to improve my daily condition. Spasticity and balance issues are ever present in my life with MS. I'm convinced both hot yoga and physical training have been very instrumental in how good I move and feel. I am looking forward to seeing my neurologist next Spring to get his reaction. I truly feel better than I have in maybe twenty years. As Sean, Hot Yoga Teacher says at the end of every class, "The most important thing in your life is your life." I want to live this one life to the fullest. That being said, I have some new adventures planned for the new year. Hope you will keep following my progress.