A Fit 48

Although I have had a very bumpy ride in 2023 in some aspects one area that I absolutely can not complain about is my physical wellness this past year. For the first time in at least a half decade I have managed to do more than slow the descent. Instead I have seen my physical self improve in ways that I did not expect. Take the last 48 hours as an example.

On Tuesday at lunch I did a yoga class followed by two hours of sand volleyball in the evening. Yesterday I played pickleball at lunch and then once again after work and you know what? I feel fine. When I first started playing pickleball I had both of my knees in braces and I only played once a week because it was all I thought my body could tolerate. Now I feel like I could play every day if I wanted to.

Playing sand volleyball for the first time in more than a dozen years was another thing that was never imagined. Again when I started playing the physical impact was harsh but as time has progressed it’s just become another thing I do without worrying much about how it affects me.

At the gym most of my strength numbers have gotten better this year. The debilitating lower back pain that was impacting me in a major way has lessened as well thanks to some additional stretching and strength work targeted in the area. When I used to do several exercises at the gym my back used to creak and crack, it doesn’t anymore. So what changed?

When the year started my weight was low, really low, at times scraping against 170 pounds. I attributed a lot of it to stress although I actually was run through a number of medical tests last year just to make sure it wasn’t something else. Since then I have been forcing myself to eat more, more than what felt normal for me. I have been able to push my nighttime weight up to 180lbs. The additional weight lead to additional strength.

I also think a significant part of my improvement has been mental. Although the way my brain works can be a curse in other aspects of my life, it can be an asset when it comes to other areas like physically challenging myself. For awhile I had sort of just accepted that I was going to continue to decline physically with each passing year. I stopped accepting that as being written in stone. If your mind is open to pushing against the walls of your box the body will do it’s best to follow orders.

Now if I can find a way to harness that determination and drive to clean up other aspects of my life things would be all rainbows and butterflies. I don’t give up easily.