Choose your Pain
I never thought of “pain” that is physical pain as being a constant in my life. I have known and experienced plenty of emotional pain: grief, insecurities, humiliations, rejections and anger. I understood than human life brings frustrations and failures as well as accomplishments, love, satisfaction and occasionally bliss. I have learned (more or less) to go with the flow, to understand nothing stays the same, and to be patience with my own turbulent nature.
However, what I did not expect was that my aging body would experience so much constant physical pain. I have bone loss in my shoulders and I cannot whip my arms above my head with out a sharp answer. If spend too much time on my feet they ache and burn. Bending my right knee in some quick move makes me wince. Yes, I can pretty much do what I want and if I must lift than by gawd I will life the load, but I am much more careful with my body than I used to be. Should I be?
Many of my friends are around my age that is a few years older or younger. Some of them are much less mobile than they want to be, many of them are experiencing severe pain in their feet legs and knees. Some of them have pacemakers, artificial hips or knees. Only one of them has zero limitations and zero pain. She has made strenuous exercise part of her weekly routine for decades. She (nameless but highly praised) swims 3 to 5 miles a week without fail.
As for me, I will be diligent for a segment of time with a real exercise program. After awhile I slack off if some artistic project seems all-important, or the weather is gloomy, or I stay up reading all night and I am too tired. Well, what if I worked harder at being fit? Should I?
Sometimes exercise seems to cause more pain. Should I push through? Allow myself to feel more pain from exercise. Of course, I won’t be crazy…after all I am 72 years old.
I am going to give it a go…. Stay tuned.