1desperateladysaved's Blog

For decades I kept improving my diet in the hope that the energy and alertness I craved would come and stay. In my desperate way I cut junk food, baked my own 100% whole grain natural bread, and even moved to a farm. Lately, I have been thinking about the desperate way I controlled my diet, while I left exercise to chance.

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By chance I got quite a lot of exercise. I am a mother of 7. I help to take care of the house and get people out to their events. I believe I run the staircase about 20 times a day. I till 80 foot rows with a pitch fork. I have done exercises recommended by my chiropractor for 8 years. After I went gluten free, the MD asked me to do one sit up for her to see. I refused, because I feared something would rip. Over the decades of my symptoms, I found I could not squat and breathe, so I never squatted. I even put my refrigerator on cement blocks, so I could get the things out of the bottom. I sat up by turning sideways and pushing myself up with my arms, so as not to pull my abdomin muscles.

I mentioned my reluctance to do even one sit up on Dr. Osborne's forum and he said I absolutely must begin to work up to 20 sit-ups, 20 squats, and 20 push-ups. Dr. Osborn claimed that I would not rip, but desperately needed it. This sounded daunting, but I began with one sit-up the first day and two the next. Since that day a year ago I have worked up to 25 sit-ups, 20 women's push-ups (could never do these even when a youth), and 20 squats. I usually spread the squats out throughout the day.

My chiropractor told me recently that I needed to talk to my functional medicine nurse about my lymph system. I have bloating in my abdomen and legs that she felt had to do with my lymph. On my next visit to the nurse she discovered swelling all of the way down to my ankle and on up my body besides.

I read that exercise helps to move lymph. I thought of my mini-tramp put away when I lost the music to jump to. I felt that an unusual desperate style exercise program would be needed for me to overcome the damage done to my body by decades of celiac. I ordered a new dvd and started my intensive training with the beginner section. I played through that section the first day, but kept resting at will. Day after day I went on. Some days I finished feeling great and some days I felt devastated. I have worked up to completing the section for beginners, intermediate, and abdominal exercise section. I still lay down with my feet up and watch the advanced section. It is getting hard to hold myself down when I see them doing the slalom move, though.

Now, today I read that one should not overdo exercise, but it was felt that 40 minutes a week works for the average person. I took today off and will try to consolidate my exercises into the ten minutes four times a week time scheme.

Exercise helped me over the last several years. When I first began the back exercise the chiropractor gave me, I freaked out that I could breath better after them. This encouraged me to do them a few times a day. Perhaps now my lymph is beginning to really move! I see less swelling, but see the glands are enlarged. I feel strength returning all around and have gained energy.

I am hoping all of you can experience the joy of exercising when it invigorates and strengthens you. Go ahead, start small, but go somewhere with it!

D