*sigh*
In coming to grips with the reality that my body continually throbs in pain, whether I'm stationery or mobile, I made a personal commitment to turn this tragedy into poetry by focusing on my overall cardiovascular wellness, as opposed to improving my physical activity in hopeful yearnings to be cured of MS. Hence, I began an exercise regimen nearly four weeks ago, simply to find what works best for my particularly individual condition.
The key for me has been to exercise at a set time for the same length of time each morning. I'm now in sync with daily physical exertion, after taking about a nine month hiatus from sporadic episodes of exercise (and gaining a smidgen more weight than I dare to admit).
For this venture, I have been utilizing services offered at the YMCA West Branch in Boise. It offers a plethora of classes and activities to remain active. The exercise physiologist in me still holds firm that the most effective form of aerobic exercise is when the body does its own work, not via the momentum of a machine. So, aside from power walking, I keep my cardio equipment options limited to tread mills and stationary bikes, plus water aerobics. I do alternating resistance training with mainly free weights for upper body, but I do use the leg press/curl machines for quadriceps and hamstrings.
My first day walking the indoor track, I stumbled (literally, several times) upon two realities: 1) my body will never again reach the level of function it maintained in years past and 2) exercise, in any form, will no longer be an easy charge.
*sigh*
On the upside, I have discovered that incorporating under-water stretching, in the 88° therapy pool, after every workout helps sooth my muscles throughout the remainder of each day. I'm not sure what any direct correlation may be here, but so far it seems to help calm the nightly twitches and tremors that would normally haunt me.
On the ironic downside, the balance in my gait is increasingly diminishing...at a rapid pace.
*sigh*
As always, this challenge, known as Multiple Sclerosis, is an ongoing mystery to me.
