5 Tips to Ease Back into Physical Exercise
As many of you know, I had surgery on my left ankle on October 7. Before the surgery, the surgeon told me to expect 2-8 months for recovery. At first, I felt as though the recovery was going very well. I was putting pressure on my foot and walking on it within about 4 days. Of course, it wasn’t a normal walk, but it was a great start. Then around October 25, I started to have more pain and swelling in my left leg. It kept getting worse so I knew something was wrong. On October 26, I was hospitalized with 4 blood clots (DVT’s) in my left leg and 2 small clots in my right lung. Blood clots are very serious but there are some steps that can be taken to reduce your chances of getting them. It is my hope that I can reach others to help them avoid clots. To discover ways to reduce your chances, please read my blog post entitled 10 Simple Ways to Prevent Deep Vein Thrombosis.
I am getting to the point where I am ready to start exercising again. Physical activity helps to get the blood flowing in the body, which helps prevent clots and will help to dissolve my clots. It can be difficult to begin or restart an exercise program, but there are some steps you can take to help you ease into working out.
5 tips to ease back into physical exercise:
- Find a workout buddy – Exercising tends to be more fun when you have a friend to join you. Also, a friend can help keep you accountable for working out.
- Start small – Take it slow…schedule in a few days a week and exercise for a short period of time. Overdoing it can cause muscle aches and pains. Remember that any movement is good for you.
- Stretch – With any exercise program, it’s important to stretch the muscles before each workout. This will help reduce injuries and improve performance.
- Look beyond weight loss – Exercise for the health benefits like reducing stress, feeling more energized, boosting your mood, and sleeping better.
- Find an exercise you enjoy – The best exercise is one you enjoy and will keep doing. If the exercise is pleasant, you will be more likely to take part.
Exercising is so important to our overall health and well-being. With the new year approaching, join me by easing into physical exercise as we become healthier together!
I think it’s so important to have a workout buddy. I need mine otherwise I don’t go.
A workout Buddy can help keep you accountable for real!