Work of a Different Kind

I've been writing a lot about health.  I would say it's been on my mind a lot lately, but actually health is always on my mind.  It is sometimes at the forefront and sometimes just behind whatever has made it to the forefront. 

I wish and hope that you would be thankful for any and every little bit of health you have.  Lately, I've been able to do mini work outs.  They aren't mini to me, but they might be to someone else.  I can move.  I am purposeful and a bit slow, but I can move.  It has been 8 weeks since I had back surgery.  I have been diligently working every day to do whatever the therapist will allow me to do.

During the last few weeks I've been getting tired of working so hard.  Before back surgery I would exercise hard 3 times a week, then take the other days to recover.  During my rehabilitation I can't take any days off.  I need to do some movement, some stretching, some muscle building every day, sometimes twice a day.  I've had days where I don't want to keep trying so hard.  In my mind I know that I will get healthier faster if I keep up the battle and keep moving, but my body wants to stop moving.  I'm tired and weary and I don't want to spend time focusing on exercise.

It is in these moments that I am reminded that health takes work.  It doesn't come because you were born with good genes or because you used to be active.  You have to keep moving.  You have to keep making wise choices and make yourself get off the couch even if everything hurts, even if you are ready to sleep.  The fact you worked yesterday, doesn't mean anything for today.  You still have to own today.

Don't be in awe of my work ethic.  I would like to quit.  I would like to be still and rest.  Then I remember that if I stay still, my joints will get stiff, my muscles will atrophy and I will feel miserable.  Despite what I want to do now, I choose to get up because I am looking to the future.

When I was in college and 20, a classmate came by my apartment to give me something.  She was wearing exercise clothes.  I was surprised that she exercised.  Then I realized that I had thought she was skinny and fit naturally, without any effort on her part.  It had never occurred to me that she worked at it.  I wasn't used to the exercise culture back then.  I didn't see fit people and think they worked hard, I just saw they were fit and wished I could be more like them.  It never crossed my mind that I could be like them if I chose to invest some time and energy.

Health takes work.  It takes work to be flexible, strong and able to move.  It takes work to choose foods that fuel you and don't slow you down.

When you see me and think that I'm lucky because I seem healthy or fit or whatever you see.  Remember that I work at it.  I actually put in the work and I remind myself that I have to keep moving, especially on the days when that is the last thing I want to do.  I would like to quit, but I do not want the results of quitting, so I work to be healthy.