Just Do More!
Embarking on a journey to a healthier lifestyle is often filled with unexpected challenges and moments that test our resolve. I can remember quite vividly the first time I got on a bike to go for a ride after having started the process of working to be a healthier version of myself. I made it just about 5 km before I was struggling and had to get off my bike and sit on the side of the road, not quite sure if I was going to vomit or pass out while sweating and hyperventilating.
When my husband started to work on his health, he was much younger, obese and smoked. He shared a place with a couple of guys who did crazy things like marathons and triathlons and would come back to the house telling him he should go for a run with them. (he fully admits to listening to them while sitting on the sofa eating Cheetos after having just come back in from having a cigarette!) One day, he decided to go out on his own. He made it 1 km up the road and, like me, might have vomited a little and then turned around and went home.
Neither of us had been people who exercised on a regular basis. Neither of us were people who could ever envision ourselves becoming people who exercised on a regular basis. The key is that, no matter how hard those first efforts seemed, we kept going. We kept doing JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE.
Where you are now in your fitness journey does not have to be where you stay. It takes work, it takes dedication, it takes determination, it takes listening to and acting on the little voice in your head when it comes up with what seem like fantastical things to even think about attempting.
One of our patients clearly recalls me telling her “it doesn’t matter if all you can do right now is get up, open your front door, walk 10 steps then turn around and walk home…if that’s what you can do, do that. Then, when you can comfortably do that, add another 5 steps, then another 5 steps”. That same woman worked her way up to walking up to 75 minutes a day and started doing some light running (and she is in her 70’s).
People ask all the time “what should I be doing for exercise”. While guidelines suggest 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous cardiovascular exercise per week and 30-90 minutes of strength training, many individuals are far from these levels. Our approach is to meet people where they are and help them initiate their journey. Starting small is the key, making the task less overwhelming and more achievable.
So, don’t worry about what your current level of fitness is now. Figure out what your baseline is. Maybe you can walk 5 minutes and that’s all you can do. Don’t go out and try to go 30 minutes…maybe the next step is pushing yourself to walk 6 minutes, then 7 minutes, then 8 minutes. It doesn’t matter as long as you are doing something! The rule after that is to JUST DO A LITTLE MORE!
As you consistently push your limits, you’ll be astonished at what you can achieve. What once seemed impossible will become your new reality, proving that progress is possible for anyone willing to take that first step. Embrace the journey, start small, and watch how far you can go! I’ll leave you with the quote I have put on my calendar in the office for the month of December…
“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” Thomas Edison
