Listen, I'm not trying to brag or anything but...we made it to day seven! That's a solid WEEK of commitment to something, which is a pretty big milestone for the flights-of-fancy prone such as myself. Feeling proud today, haha.
But to the real post, today I'm grateful for this body, and my ability to move it.
After dealing with a back injury that left me almost immobile for a good stint of time, I will never take the gift of being able to move for granted. Exercise has always been a great love of mine, and going from being someone who exercised consistently, trained others, and taught live workout classes, to someone who was on couch arrest with an ice pack constantly stuffed in the waistband of my leggings, the depression hit pretty hard. In the words of Tiffany (with the good hair), my therapist, "Wow, it must really suck to feel like the literal representation of the mighty falling. To go from lean and mean fitness queen to depressed and injured. Man. Sounds like it's time to take the advice you'd give others and work from where you are."
She said it with all the love, by the way. She's pretty amazing. But also, she was right. Coming to terms with the fact that I was no longer an endurance athlete who could power jump and diamond jump for hours was a hard feat. Then, on top of that, not even being able to lift weights (something I also REALLY love) for a good long time...sucked too. When I saw my Physical Therapist in California, she told me, "We may never get you back to where you were, but we can get you close. You just have to trust me, and follow the process. No cheating."
And so, begrudgingly, I did. I spent a month on couch arrest, not even able to lift a cooking sheet, with the ice planted firmly in my pants (lol). I saw her three days a week, having my bones and ligaments manipulated and doing gentle stretching. The day finally came when I was allowed to do ten whole glute bridges. Whoa, what a rush. But slowly, sometimes PAINFULLY slow, she built my strength back up. She got me to where I needed to be. I won't say I was tuck jumping again, but I could lift. I could run. I could put on pants or sit on the toilet without crying from agonizing spinal pain. Life itself was a gift.
Flash forward to a few months ago when I got hit with the covid and was sick for over a month, the coughing fits sent my back into a tailspin. Well, the coughing and the lack of ability to keep my routine up and running. So, once again, I was back to square one. Slowly building up. But I knew, and still know, to trust the process.
So today, on day seven, I'm grateful for this body. For it's strength and resilience. It may not look the way I want it to, but it's strong and capable, and for that I will always be grateful. It's bounced back from so much, and continues to do so. I know how fortunate I am to have recovered, because I know not everyone can.
*Sidenote A: the weights may look small to some, but they're a tremendous accomplishment to someone who couldnt bend to tie their shoes a year and a half ago.
*Sidenote B: Yes, I workout barefoot. It's my garage. Don't come for me :)
Love the body you have, and treat it with the love it deserves. It does so much for you.
- Dommie
Comments