I woke up Monday morning with my lower back and my hips aching.  This was a new and unusual stress area for my 70 year old body.  I sat with my tea contemplating texting my trainer that I would take the day off because I didn’t feel well.  The following argument was going on in my head:

You can find something to do at the gym.  Remember - NO Excuses!

But if something is wrong with me I don’t want to make it worse.

You will not make it worse by moving slowly on the elliptical.  You can always stop if it hurts and maybe Michelle (my trainer) will just do biceps and triceps and not involve the sore area.  You can do it.

But, but, but, but…

You can do it!  Get upstairs, get dressed and get your lazy butt to the gym…  That’s the only butt that counts.

Well of course I won the argument…  LOL - Yes, I went to the gym.  What was the outcome?

I got on the elliptical, put on my play list and started moving S L O W L Y.  It didn’t feel any different than when I walked in, so I figured I wasn’t hurting myself and continued.  The pain diminished as time went on and when I stepped off the elliptical, I actually felt better than when I had walked into the gym

Now it was my time with my trainer.  I told her what was going on, she asked me some probative questions so that she understood exactly where I was hurting, when and how it hurt and we went ahead with my work out…  Wait, we didn’t do a normal work out.  I spent my 30 minutes with her stretching different ways to access those muscles that were sore and hurting and at the end of my time I felt much better.

Hmmm…  Better after the elliptical and then even better after stretching for 30 minutes…  There must be a lesson in there somewhere, right?

For me the lesson is that no matter what, moving my body in some way every single day results in less pain, more flexibility, and I LOVE seeing and feeling the muscles I work so hard to create.

If you’re just getting started don’t overdo.  Find something you can do for 10 or 15 minutes without pain - walking, swimming, water aerobics, just walking in a pool, chair exercises, yoga, Tai Chi, or pick up two 16 oz filled water bottles while you’re watching TV and do bicep curls…  Every little bit helps burn calories, build muscles, create flexibility, and actually reduces the pain.  And once it becomes a habit, remember - A Body In Motion Tends To Stay In Motion - it’s a scientific fact (Thank You Sir Isaac Newton).