Hey Guys! It’s Karen with Wellness Works NW. How are you doing? You know sometimes when you ask someone who lives with chronic illness, how they are doing, they answer, “Oh. Fine. Great.” And often times they aren’t. For this of you who are friends who are chronically ill, you gotta try to watch that because sometimes they are not really talking with you. You want to make sure that you engage them in a conversation. Because if you ask, “How are you doing?” They might answer, “Just great.” But if you pay attention to them you might learn this something is working right or they are hurting and then you can be of greater assistance to them.
Being chronically ill is like riding a roller coaster. You get in and everything is going ok and then you feel a few hiccups and more hiccups and then suddenly the floor drops out and plunge downward and then you come up really fast, out of nowhere! In a regular roller coaster you know that you are going to go to the top and come down, you expect it. But when you are chronically ill you don’t know what to expect.
When you first get on the roller coaster, you’ve been diagnosed. Now you need to know that to do; exactly what you need to do for you. You also need to know what you need to tell you friends, husbands, wives, everybody, and co-workers what they need to do to make it better. Once the shock is over you need to make a plan. You know you are getting into the roller coaster, strap yourself and be protected as much as possible. Whatever that protection means for you. You may be able to do this but not that. May you need to change your car because it hurts your back to get in. Maybe you need a new mattress because you are not sleeping well. Those are some of the things on the list that you need to do to make this ride better. We don’t want you to just survive! We want you to thrive!
So you are in the roller coaster and you are moving…You are thinking about all your fears but you have done what you can do and then you end up with an episode or a flare, whatever you call it, and you need to be able to take care of you. While you are doing this you might develop what we call FOMO: Fear of Missing Out. It happens. What you need to do is let your friends know you are going to try to make it to their party, but I’m not sure. We’re going to try this but I only have so many spoons. You want to let people know that you are going to do the best you can. Also, don’t make yourself feel guilty. You tried to follow through and if you can’t move, it’s ok. Another part of being chronically ill is being realistic. You might want to do a marathon, but if that can’t happen, maybe you should try a mile.
You want your goals to be realistic and measurable. Make it very important to thrive not just survive. Each time you try and fail, learn what you can and get right back in that roller coaster. And when you do succeed, celebrate with your friends! Do not be afraid to live life!
At Wellness Works NW we are going to help you. We do a lot of screaming and hoot hooting! We want to be the conduit between you understanding what’s going on with you and becoming On Fire! Resilience Baby! Yes!
Now I am a personal trainer. I am not a doctor. I am not trying to give a diagnosis. You need to talk with your doctor. I am here to help you along this path…but most of this can move it! Move it! It’s time to exercise.
I just got new 5 lb weights! You can use lots of things at home, but I am happy to have these. You need to train your upper body. 1st we are going to hold our weights down at our sides and lift up slowly to our shoulder. Make sure to do both sides.
Another exercise starts in a lunge and bring your weights from your shoulders and then bringing your weights down toward your knee. I am going slowly and trying to make the movement as big as possible in order to engage more muscles. We are doing moving lunges. We are using our glutes, our biceps, our quads.
Next hold your weight out in front of you and bring it slowly back behind your head. Feel that stretch. Make sure to do the other side. You do enough of these and your arms will tighten up.
You can enjoy this roller coaster ride can be so much easier if you can keep yourself going and asking for help when you need us.
Email me. Thank you for all you do! I am sending all kinds of prayers and positive vibes!
One way you can suggest topics to us to go visit the Dear Jamie page on our website where you can email us with ideas that you want to learn more about.
#KeepMoving #WellnessWorks #WootWoot
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Karen G. Clemenson is not a doctor or a scientist. She is a real person that eats too much sometimes and misses her workout on occasion but is mindful of her path toward wellness, all the time. Karen understands that your physical wellness does not begin and end with your membership to a local gym. She knows that weight loss management begins with steps; some small and some large. These steps include diet, physical activity and retraining of the thoughts and habits that keep you from being successful on your path toward wellness.
