Loving your body and brain enough to support it
June 23, 2019
It is so clear that lack of exercise is harmful to us—our skeleton, our muscles, and our hormonal signals are all harmed by lack of muscle contractions. We must use our muscles and make them work to prevent the harms of inactivity.
As someone with multiple sclerosis, I became profoundly disabled from the disease. I was unable to keep doing the work I loved as a teacher and Elementary School Principal. I was unable to see clearly. I was unable to walk to the end of my driveway (100 feet) and stand at the kitchen stove for longer than 20 seconds. A fatigue, ten times worse than the mononucleosis I had high school, greeted my every day. I was unable to problem solve and use my short term memory. The cognitive changes I encountered were the hardest blow from M.S. to accept into my new life. My new life with Multiple Sclerosis.
“Researchers have found that the hippocampus, the part of the brain associated with memory and learning, seems to grow larger with regular aerobic exercise.” (AARP B. 6/2019)
Perhaps you have had a stroke, concussion, infection, or autoimmune disease that damaged your brain or spinal cord, leaving you with muscle weakness and problems walking or using your hands. Sometimes the connection between the brain and body is so severely damaged that we become paralyzed or nearly so.
Even so, in spite of all the “unables” you might have in your body, it is vital to exercise the parts of the body that still work. Keep moving. You’ve spent the last two weeks doing simple exercises into our daily routine. Now, begin to add a bit more.
When I began reclaiming my life from my early M.S. attacks, I began slowly with exercising. I started walking on the high school track. A forth of a mile is all I could accomplish. So, I started there with three times the first week walking my little forth of a mile. I added more the next week, so I was now doing a half mile walk. Well, the next week I increased the distance and number of days walking. It took me a good full year till I was comfortable doing a one mile walk. Now, three years later, I walk a mile in the mornings twice a week and daily climb 18 flights of stairs. Some of it has improved my poor balance, yet all of it has improved my brain functions.
So, I challenge you this week to do one option listed below. Continue adding changes to your life slowly so you begin to set a solid foundation. Your cells and your brain will work better for you. They’ll thank you, for Living the Encouraged Life!
Call up a good friend, a relative and ask them to go on a walk with you. Tell them what you are doing and ask them if they will commit to two weekly walks with you.
Download a 7 minute workout to your phone. I like “Lucky Seven” or “7 minute workout.” (Free) Do one of these three times this week.
If you have exercise equipment at home use it three times this week for 11 minutes.
Continue practicing three of your simple exercises into your daily life. Nice work.
Download a yoga workout to your phone. I like “Yoga Solution.” (Free). Do it three times this week for 11 minutes.
