Ouch! My body is sabotaging my exercise plan!

I’m 45. Okay, we got that out of the way. I’m also overweight-actually, ‘curvey’ is what I like to call it because it makes being ‘fat’ sound more palatable. In just in the last 2 years, I have actually convinced myself through reading and rationalizing that I need to exercise. I need to do this because first of all, nothing else is enabling me to shed pounds, and two, I’ve come to the stark realization I need to get physical if I want to ward off diabetes and other horrible ailments like heart disease and cancer.

Now that I finally worked up the nerve to begin an exercise regimine, I joined my neighborhood gym and have tried to go at least 3 days a week. I’ve found, however, if I go that many days, I end up feeling so achy, I can’t get myself to go back and I end up skipping days. It never fails, if I do 2 days on the elliptical, the tendon around my right ankle begins to hurt, and it gets so painful, it literally is screamng in pain while I’m sitting with my foot up. I do the muscle machines for my upper arms and my shoulder joints are going, “Crack! Pop! Creak….” And they begin to ache me so badly. I decide to switch things up a bit, so I joined Curves, thinking it would be less impact, and since Curves is full of aging women, who can go wrong with 30 seconds per machine, twice around. I felt this should be the place for me. No such luck. After 2 months of Curves, I got bursitis in my left hip which lasted for 4 months. The doctor told me it was caused by repetitive motion. So, I stopped going to Curves. Now, I’m back at the regular gym, and I can’t believe how my body seems to be working against me. Every joint in my body aches at times, and I am so stiff. I want so badly to be able to exercise consistantly, but I just can’t do it through the pain.

My wonder is what is causing me to feel this way? I’ve been to the Dr. and had blood tests done. I suppose I’m just one of those creaky, arthritic type of people. Oh, and did I mention the fatigue? The cumulative affect of 30 minute multiple workouts totally wipe me out. I’m tired. But, as far as I know, I’m healthy. Everything has checked out fine. Today, I started something new. After thinking I was going to get in the car and drive to the gym to pump the elliptical for 30 minutes until the pain sets in , I looked down at my dog’s big, brown eyes and thought for a moment. I would try something new. Instead of driving to the gym, I’m going to walk, and the dog is going to be my exercise buddy. She needs it, too. I latched the leash on her collar, grabbed my cell and a poop bag and we were out the door headed for the walking path behind my home. Our development has a tree lined 5 mile path that curves around a creek, and behind many of the houses. It’s beautiful, and the two of us might as well take advantage of it now that the autumn is almost here. Lilly likes the smells, and I like the sights. We walked in the sunshine and stopped to watch the birds. I clocked us at 35 minutes from the time we left till the time we looped the leash back on the hook. It didn’t seam like work at all. My heart was pumping, and I worked up a sweat-just like I do on the elliptical. The beagle’s nose was delighted. It was fun! I think Lilly and I are going to do this again tomorrow, and again and agan, throughout the fall until, of course, my feet start aching me so badly I had to stop.

I was paging through my new issue of MORE magazine, and I noticed a new ad for an over the counter drug that treats chronic joint pain in women. It’s called, SheaFlex70 . I’m going to try it. I’m not writing this blog to tout a new brand of pain medication. I’m simply saying I might try it. It might give me hope. I’m tired of letting my body sabotage my attempts at staying healthy. I’m the brains in this operation and it’s time to make a change.

I’m off to order the perfect pair of walking shoes. Onward.