Have you ever had an injury or condition that prevents you from doing the things you enjoy? Maybe you like running, but you’ve got bad knees or plantar fasciitis that keeps you on the couch. Or let’s say golf is your passion, but your back prevents you from playing at the level you once enjoyed? Man, I can identify. For real.
As you read this, I am at the hospital waiting to have my third knee surgery. Its been a long time coming but I am ready to get it over with.
The other day a member at the Bodysmith asked me if I was nervous. I suppose that I am. But when you have a big part of your life severely altered, it begins to wear on you physically and emotionally.
For more than a year, my workouts and leisure activity really paid the price. When your passion, livelihood and physical abilities are intertwined things can go south pretty fast. All the fun of exercise quickly erodes when movement hurts. Not to mention your feelings of job satisfaction when you can’t demonstrate a proper squat or lunge. But I don’t mean to whine, and this isn’t my first rodeo! I’ve been through pain and injury before. Heck, it’s what got me into the fitness industry in the first place.
My point of this email is just to tell you not to give up. In my own case, I haven’t completely given up exercise I’ve only had to get creative, modify and keep focused on my goals. Every one of us faces challenges in life. Whether physical or logistical we have responsibility and no shortage of activities and obligations trying to take our time.
The subject of this email was, Do what you can with what you have. This phrase is plastered across the Bodysmith walls and refers to both ability and time. Any activity is better than no activity. There is always something that can be done. It just may take a different kind of focus and intensity than you are comfortable with. Time is in short supply for everyone, but we are in more control than we think. Spending two hours a week exercising or preparing healthy meals can go a long way especially if you are just starting out.
Maybe it’s the anesthesia beginning to take effect but this whole notion of time has me thinking of a particular movie quote.
“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” – Gandalf the Grey.
Rock on Gandalf. Rock on.
– Coach Brad “going under the knife” Dienstbier
