Physical Wellness

This one doesn’t have to be hard, Loves. There will be no shaming in this post. Wherever you’re starting from, you’re starting. You’re miles away from the people who will never even start. Before we even get into it, know you’ve got this. 

We’re going to look at this facet of wellness from the contexts of mobility and strength. 

Your muscles are how you move. If you have no mobility, quality of life really suffers. Mobility is tied to independence. For our aging parents (and also ourselves!) this is a huge issue. Some of my patients were mentally sharp, but physically unable to care for themselves due to mobility issues. I saw this weigh heavily on them. Imagine needing another person’s help to do things like cut your food or use the restroom when all your mental faculties are in place. In every scenario I can imagine where my independence is threatened, I feel shame about it. This is what’s at stake as we age. Obviously, maintaining the ability to move is very important in this context. 

The other side to look at is strength. If I am able to make the physical movement to open a condiment jar, but lack the strength to remove it, my independence is still affected. I will only be able to access the contents of that jar with assistance. 

Need a better reason? The view is incredible up here.

Some of the people who would come across this blog are going to be health conscious people. I don’t want you to think that this doesn’t apply to you because you’re at a more advanced physical level. Adapt it to your situation. At this point in my life, one of my important things is to be able to carry in the groceries in one trip. I have my priorities. It makes my workout worth it for me. Go figure. The point is, it can be real life things. Your goals don’t have to be *have a booty like J.Lo.* It could be “Id like to be able to train my dog on a leash without being dragged down the street.” 

Now for the bit you aren’t going to want to hear. Physical therapy is necessary. There, I said it. I know it isn’t fun. I know you’re post-op or post-injury and it can feel like actual torture to do. When I worked in-patient rehab, the nurses seemed so cold to me. They were a very “tough love” variety. Same thing with the physical therapists. I thought,  *man, the sadists go work in rehab/physical therapy.* Not so. 

During my stint there, I saw how the hard work of my patients translated into independence regained, strength they didn’t have before, and mobility to live with a quality of life they’d have pre-incident. PLEASE prioritize yourself if this is your story. The patients who were demoralized and didn’t fully participate in therapy didn’t have the same good outcomes I saw in the others. It hurts now, but unless you’re a very special case, it won’t always hurt like this. It does get better. You do get stronger. You can do this!