Chewing the Fat on Skinny: Movement as Medicine

This week Beachbody’s CEO Carl Daikeler shared a link about the medicinal benefits of exercise and I’m so glad he did. When you have a moment, give it a look by clicking here.

Last night there was a woman on American Ninja Warrior that uses movement to mitigate her Parkinson’s symptoms. The piece gave me mixed feelings, I was sad that this young, vibrant Mom has Parkinson’s and I was glad that the show featured her story and that she’s found some alternate relief. While of course prescription medicines are necessary to control many diseases, exercise is an often overlooked way to lessen/control certain symptoms.

I know for a fact that exercise has played a key role in lessening/controlling my chronic pain caused by trigeminal neuralgia. And now, the proof is in the numbers. When I did the 21 Day Fix, moving my body for 21 days straight, I took no prescription medicine. Of course an illness as complicated as mine has many triggers and considerations but here’s the real deal- the more I move my body the better I feel. The more I move my body the less pain I have. I’ve been using exercise as medicine since 2011- along with prayer, meditation and eating right. Could this be the magic pill that many are searching for? Maybe. The magic is in the hard work, consistent good choices, behavior changes and cultivating a positive attitude of gratitude.

If you’re about to stop reading stick with me here…I was the girl who used to eat cake while watching the Biggest Loser. Stuffing the delicious bites in my mouth while cheering the contestants on “you go girl, go you!” I was the girl whose idea of activity was having to get up for another snack from my horizontal position on the couch. I was the girl who got winded on her own stairs at home and who always took the elevator at work. The one who always looked for the closet parking spot at the store. I was the girl who was terrified to go to the YMCA because someone might stare at me. The one who went through the drive through. I was the girl who had that Eeyore attitude about exercise “why bother?”

So what changed? After the worst year of my life due to my illness I was given a second chance. I went from being bedridden with pain to being able to move my body. What a gift! So I decided that I needed to start moving. I started with walking. It’s nice and simple and it’s free. Just lace up your sneaks and go. At the time I was 40 pounds heavier and so darned tired all of the time. But I set small visual goals for myself. First I’ll walk to that stop sign and turn around. Next I’ll walk to that street sign and turn around. And before I knew it I was walking 4 miles at a nice clip.

For me this process has been about slow and steady progressions. Start with 5 minutes on the elliptical and build from there. Start with 1 pound weights and increase your reps, then increase the weight amount. It’s also been about erasing my all or nothing attitude. I used to feel like if I couldn’t get an hour of activity in, why even start. But let’s look at it this way, 10 minutes of activity is better than no activity right? The article recommended 150 minutes of activity a week- that’s about 21 minutes a day.

Aren’t you worth 21 minutes a day? Isn’t your long term health worth 21 minutes a day? How about prolonging your time on this awesome earth with your family and friends? If you don’t invest in you, who is going to?

Start today, start small and build from there. You'll get stronger every day that you put in the work.

A year from today when you look back on your journey you’ll be amazed at how far you’ve come.