One Step At A Time

What if getting in shape is not as hard as we think it is?

I’ve been playing with this thought ever since I worked as a personal trainer and group fitness coach after leaving the military.  Recently, I’ve been seeing some examples of this in some of my coworkers who have taken some of the advice I have given them about habit change over the last couple of years.  In particular, I have a coworker who is in his 60’s and was having some significant knee pain at times.  He would describe walking around his house or at work sometimes and having his knee suddenly ‘catch’ and send sharp pain throughout his leg.  The response from his physical therapist?  “Avoid doing all deep knee bending activities and keep this large knee brace on.”  (I clarified with my coworker.  ‘Avoid’ means to avoid these things for good.)

Apparently this coworker has been bone-on-bone in this knee for quite some time.  ‘Bone-on-Bone’ means that there is no longer any cartilage acting as a lubricative barrier between the femur (thigh bone) and tibia (shin bone).  My mother recently got a knee replacement and was dealing with the same issue in her now surgically repaired knee.  When I heard the recommendation the physical therapist gave to my coworker, I cringed.  I thought physical therapy was about returning to function?  I’ve learned over the last decade that no matter what the credentialing is, different people will approach physical rehab and general health in different ways.  Subjectivity will always influence a healthcare provider’s approach.

I recommended that my coworker begin looking at youtube videos from my favorite fitness influencer (using this phrase makes me barf a little in my mouth), Ben Patrick, aka Knees Over Toes Guy.  I began talking to my coworker about some simple exercises he could do.  I also recommended ways to scale the movements to make them easier so that he would never be working through pain (a principle from Ben Patrick).  I would catch him at work doing 3-4 repetitions of an exercise here and there.  It’s probably been a year since we started having that conversation and his knee hasn’t caught in quite a while.  This coworker is doing full deep knee bending at a level appropriate for his abilities while at work in his 60’s!

Sneaking It In

“I would catch him at work doing 3-4 repetitions of an exercise here and there.”

I had to quote myself on that one.  

While having a conversation with this coworker we used the phrase ‘sneaking it in’ to refer to this strategy of every now and again, getting a few reps of an exercise while at work.  I do the same thing while I’m at work.  All day I’m walking, stretching, doing a few push ups, doing a few deep knee bends, etc.  The key is that small actions accumulate over time to create positive results.  My coworker’s knee is feeling better because he put in a little bit of work on a consistent basis for a long time.  Damn!  Isn’t that the recipe for any positive change we want in our personal lives?!

More than at any other point in my life, I am convinced that movement truly is medicine.  Exercise doesn’t have to happen at a particular time of day, in particular clothes, or in a particular place.  Exercise doesn’t have to mean breathing so heavily you can’t speak, or lifting heavy things, or getting disgustingly sweaty.  It does mean moving our bodies.  AND, to see positive change, we have to move consistently for a significant period of time.  

Find ways to integrate things into your day.  You’d be surprised what hanging from a pullup bar daily for 30-60 secs would do for your shoulder health and grip strength.  Then throw in a 60 sec plank and 30 minutes of walking on top of it.  If that sounds intimidating, remember that you have choices.  Make the increments as small as they need to be in order for the routine to become palatable.  What if you just started with walking 10 minutes a day?  After 30 days, add 5 minutes to your walk and do a 15 second plank twice a day.  In another 30 days add 5 more minutes to your walk and make the plank 30 seconds followed by a 10 second hang, twice a day.  And so on… 

Gradual change is sustainable change and should be celebrated as an appropriate strategy for anyone trying to adopt exercise habits.  Just remember, you are on a lifelong journey to incorporate regular movement into your everyday life.  Get Creative.  Be Courageous.  Hold Yourself Accountable.  

Small Actions Add Up

One of the saddest things for me to see is watching people struggle with their health while knowing that with a simple sustainable long term approach they could be experiencing the world in a whole different way.  

Another coworker of mine recently has lost some weight.  Maybe 20 plus pounds.  He’s changed some things about his diet.  Some of that has been prompted by conversations we’ve had, but ultimately, he’s done the work and it’s paying off.  

This coworker said to me the other day, “I’ve heard you say it so many times but it wasn’t until I made the changes myself that I really understood how much better I could feel… It’s like we get so accustomed to feeling bad it becomes normal.”

I replied, “It’s like explaining sight to someone who was born blind.”

I am someone who encourages people to believe in their ability to change their circumstances for the better.  That often means a persistence in trying to convince a person that something they believe is impossible, actually is possible.  It’s tough but moments like these with my coworkers remind me that the effort I put out to encourage those around me is worth it.  Just like I remind them that their health journey is one step at a time, I have to remind myself that the journey to impact the world in a positive way is one step at a time.  Those steps add up if we keep going.

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