Setting The Pace

 

Is anyone else wondering where January went? January 1st is such a great time for New Year's resolutions and new beginnings. But what if you didn't even get a plan into place let alone have the time to start to execute it? Is that a sign to just give up and settle into old habits before trying new? Are you ready to embark on a journey that involves a happier, healthier you? But you aren't sure where to start?

I think that many people that have gone through an event that leaves them with pain, dysfunction, lack of energy, vitality, or health are sometimes at a loss for improving because they have to use so much energy to just get through the day. And then when they have a day or moment of feeling better they are so eager for their old life and way of being to be back that they jump into an exercise or activity full force only to find that their pain or dysfunction is back with a vengeance, and the negative self-talk gets louder leaving messages like, "See, you shouldn't even try," "You will never be able to -- again," "THIS is all you will ever be able to do." But what if that isn't correct?

Many of us just want to be able to do what we once could do immediately. And that is just not how it works. We need to build a foundation. We need to ease back into movement and strength. We need to listen to our bodies and allow our bodies to dictate the timeline, not our brains.

As a physical therapist one of the common questions that patients present to me with involves exact guidelines for exercise. There is a lot of fear around doing the wrong thing and or at the wrong intensity. This fear is legitimate as many have paid the price for doing just that.

I just finished teaching my Myofascial Release Self Treatment classes. I spend 4 hours teaching about the fascial system, what it is, how it functions, and how to care for it. Participants left the class with a whole bunch of stretches, MFR self treatment, and a big picture of putting it all together. I explain that it is like giving them a cook book. They don't have to cook every recipe every day. They get to choose based on what their body is craving. This usually irritates at least one person in class. Some people want to be told exactly what to do and how to do it. But that is just not possible. I can't even tell myself what my body should do for exercise tomorrow and it's MY body. I have to wait until tomorrow and feel into my body and decide in that moment what is best for it. I develop a solid plan but then give myself the grace to do what feels right.

One weekend I took my two dogs for a hike in the desert. My German Shepard mix (Cisco) was so excited to go he ran at me to greet me, and then was full of energy and ready to hit the trail and led the pack the whole way. My Golden Retriever (Iris) drug her feet about the experience from the beginning and had to stop two times. This was a 3.5 mile walk that we have been doing lately with quite a bit of frequency. She walked slower than she ever has before.

I could have yanked on the leash for Cisco to slow down. I could have yanked on the leash for my Iris to speed up. We have kept a pretty consistent pace on other days. I could have insisted that they match that pace.

Instead, I felt into their energy and did my best to guide them, taking care of my own body, listening to theirs, and nudging one to slow down and the other to speed up, but nudging with gentle physical and verbal ques and energy, not force. I met them where they were and I met the group where we were.

Earlier that day my sweet, sensitive, full of love, spoiled beyond measure, baby of the family Iris had gone to the groomer for the first time. The groomer was a sweet lady and for what we could tell we left her in gentle loving hands. But Iris is always under the care of one of our family members. If the people in her family are all at work or school she is left alone with her big brother Cisco. She is never alone or with strangers. Once she was old enough and trained enough she was never crated again and instead earned full access to her house. When we picked her up from the groomer she was waiting in a crate. She was happy and healthy and well cared for. But the experience could very well have been exhausting for her.

The day was perfect weather. For me. It was warmer than it has been on all of the other times I have hiked with them on that trail. Iris panted hard from the very beginning. Maybe it was a bit warm for her.

Cisco had been left alone when Iris was at the groomer. He is a high energy, high anxiety breed and dog. He is always with his sister. He may have been stressed to have her gone. He may have enjoyed his alone time. We will never know. But he was super stoked to breath the fresh air and enjoy the trail.

So with my voice and body and through the leash I gave gentle guidance to them both. I encouraged us to move along as a group, I encouraged Cisco to slow down and Iris to speed up. But I listened to what they needed and we followed what the slowest of the group could do. Slowing when she needed to slow, and stopping when she needed to stop.

If she had needed to stop and I hadn't been listening then I would have been using the leash to drag her. How many of you are dragging yourselves through your exercise program? How does that feel? Does it work? Does it make you want to exercise every day? Are you basing what you expect from your body on what it could do other days, not taking into consideration any emotional and traumatic experiences of today?

Are you willing to nudge yourself to go a little further, or faster, or do just a little more. Are you willing to listen when your body quietly whispers, that is enough, this speed, time, amount feels just right, right now? Are you willing to ask us for help to support you as you need to walk slow? Or nudge you to go a little more? Do you need a little more solidity in your plan, with room to do what is right in the moment? How can we help you?

We have developed different levels or types of treatment sessions. We offer different types of group classes. We guide our patients along in their home exercise programs. We lay out the path but it is you, and only you, that can take the steps toward your goals. What steps are you ready to take?