A Stronger Start to the New Year

I can see your eye rolls already. How original, a post about going to the gym in January. If I didn’t know better, I’d roll those eyes too. (Especially after discovering discounted Terry’s Chocolate Oranges the other day). This isn’t exactly a resolution to myself though, not in the traditional “I am going to get fit/thin/much lighter” way. This year, it’s more like “I am going to be able and stronger by the end of the year”.

I’ve been suffering from a back injury since December 2013, mid pregnancy, so for the past two years I’ve not exactly been propping up the cross trainer on a daily basis, or attending mum and baby gymnastics classes or the like. I’ve watched other women from pregnancy groups I’ve been in taking part in buggy boot camps and insane workout regimes that have seen them dropping the baby weight quickly and looking incredible. More power to them. These things didn’t appeal to me before my injury. The not being able is what is spurring me on. I’m jealous of these women and their ability to do a workout, when some days just walking has me done in.

I’ve been seeing different physios and pain management people over the last two years but in the last few months I was referred to the Arena Clinic in the Mardyke Arena. The approach here has been different from the mostly hands-on approach that had been taken by others; we’ve tried hydrotherapy (which unfortunately wasn’t for me, but I know it makes such a difference to others!), acupuncture (this does work!), some hands on stuff, use of the Alter G treadmill (which is really amazing technology) and today, an actual gym session.

In a past life, while a not very frequent user of the gym (despite my UCC fees paying for membership), I did love the cross trainer. I would have scoffed at myself for getting off, being done, after five minutes but today, that was five more minutes than I would have been able to do before today. Not only that, but it was followed by different weights machines and squats of all things. All of it heavily supervised by my wonderful Physio, it was a personal training session for a banjaxed me – and it has filled me with serious glee that I am Able.

There have been so many things that I have been told I can’t do, and things I have come to realise myself that I can’t. Some things are obvious (moving furniture), others more of a pain to deal with (learning to drive – it’s on hold for the moment!) and some which play on my mind in the wee hours and mess with my self esteem (not keeping up with my toddler, being out of work with the injury). I try not to dwell on it, so I don’t tend to allow it much mention on the blog where I write about things I am passionate about and things I feel are important in my life. I don’t want to give it more power than it has taken from me.

Today is different. Today I did something I didn’t think I could do. It’s only the first step towards being stronger (and I am going to be SORE tomorrow) but it’s something I am proud of, a sign of progress, and something I hope to be able to look back on and go “Sure, that was nothing, look what I can do now!” this time next year.

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