Keeping fit
I have a variety of chronic illnesses that prevent me from being able to exercise. Additionally, I am on several medications that have caused me to gain weight. I want to get more physically fit and just generally healthier. I wanted to hear what low-impact, low-cardio exercises you all have come up with to stay healthy and how much diet can actually help. More importantly, I wanted to know how you stay positive and motivated. I know lately I've just wanted to give up and lay around my house all day. How have you coped with the knowledge you might never be able to physically do the things you want to do?
@Bb2018
Aqua aerobics classes is a great low-impact exercise. & an easy way to build community.
Motivation is difficult. The best advice I recieved from a counselor regarding depression: there aren't and ropes tieing you down keep you in bed (or in your case laying around the house). The ropes are in your mind. If you wanted to force your body to take actions despite the shittyness you felt inside, you could chose to do it. Maybe after days/weeks/months of forcing yourself to take actions that you know are good for you, habits from and it no longer becomes force. You find great pleasure in it and now have a new sense meaning in your life. It dramaticly changed my outlook and worked. I was able to get out of bed (most days), and face whatever the world threw at me. Hope this helps.
@Bb2018 Hi I am not able to exercise due to chronic illness, so I try to maintain my weight thru diet like @DesultoryTh0ught. It is hard at times accepting that there are so many things that I can't do physically. To cope with this I am trying to find new "low key" things that I can do. I attend disabilty and mindfulness discussions here at 7cups and that also helps.
@Bb2018
At one point in my life I thought like this: today I do absolutely notjing at all, if tomorrow I do smth is progress if the day after tomorrow I keep doing the same thing is sustainable progress, if after a while I do more again I keep on progressing in sustainable steps. Progress a little and sustain it and after you sustain that small progress you move forward. Use your imagination and think of what you can actually do now (as little as it is).
I am not aware of the details of your chronic conditions and medications but would it be possible to gain access to hydrotherapy? It stimulates all the muscles in your body and is a low cardio activity, water is sooo beneficial, you exercise while relaxing, how cool is that?😊
I really miss having access to the warm therapeutic pool during the pandemic!! One thing I can suggest is getting resistance bands and doing some gentle exercises of whatever kind you can, for me I can sometimes strengthen my legs with them and sometimes if my pain isn't too bad that day even pull on them a little with my hands with the bands looped around a door knob, just anything you can do that gives you a tiny bit more strength. It's really hard.
There are many many low impact excercise programs that can be done while seated. If you go to you tube and do a search you will find a good selection to choose from. Diet choices can have a big impact on both mental and physical health. Lowfat, low sugar, mediterranean diets have been researched and proven to help improve and manage a number of health conditions.
Start with one thing and add to it a little each day. I stopped drinking soda and worked on just that for several months, at first it wasnt easy but afterwhile I didnt even think about it. Just start with one thing, you have to start somewhere. And dont worry if you get off track sometimes, each day you have chance to get back on track and just start again. Everytime you complete your task its one time more than before and one step closer to your goal.
