We prevail (guest post)

by

Greg Hayes writes a fitness blog about fitting fitness into busy lives.  You can read more of his thoughts at Live Fit Blog, where he ruminates about fitness, parenting, and being mauled by little boys.

Several years ago now, I determined I’d had enough of living an unhealthy lifestyle, and decided it was time to get right with fitness.  It was both an epiphany, and a disappointment to me, when I looked in the mirror and discovered the person looking back at me wasn’t the man I remembered.  Changing was hard, and it’s a battle I continue to fight.  But it’s one worth fighting, not only for myself, but for those I love.  I know this, because shortly after I started this journey, my wife decided to come along for the ride.

I took up the mantle of fitness in the form of running, while she followed the path of yoga, and we both found success in our journey, proving that with the right support, there’s no “best” way to get in shape.  Over the last few years, we’ve both changed our routines, with me moving in the direction of triathlons, then strength training, and her migrating toward cardio-dance and group strength.  Being a stay-at-home Mom, she decided to build on her new found skills, and earned her certification to teach fitness classes.  Much as I define myself as a father, husband, and chemist, she came to define herself not only as a mother and wife, but also as a fitness instructor.  But of course, all things change.

Recently, she diagnosed with a degenerative disc condition in the lumbar portion of her spine, which means many of her former fitness classes are forbidden.  Naturally, the doctors have counseled keeping fit and staying active, yet the activities she enjoys most are now off limits.  Even yoga, which rescued her from a plague of migraines and back pain that was the legacy of an old motorcycle wreck, may be unwise.  And at not-yet 40 years of age, she’s searching for answers.  We both are.

I watched my first running partner struggle with a similar problem.  A lifelong runner, at 55-years of age, he was diagnosed with spondylolisthesis, and told if he continued running, he wouldn’t walk in 5-years.  Running was part of his identity.  It was part of who he was.  Although it devastated him, he quit.  He suffered from depression for nearly a year, before finding that swimming and cycling could help fill that void.

Fitness has become an integral part of our lifestyle.  We strive to work it into our daily routines, not as a bludgeon, but as entertainment, much as we did as kids.  We treasure the time spent hiking, walking, talking, jogging, and other activities, both together and with our children.  We expect this diagnosis will restrict some of those activities, but we’re not yet certain exactly what those changes will entail.

Life has a way of tossing out the most unexpected of hurdles.  We have faced them together.  First with my torn ACL, then with our youngest child’s epilepsy, and now with my wife’s new diagnosis.  Could it be worse?  Absolutely.  But they are our challenges, and no less important for it.  So we stand together, and in that we find strength.  We prevail.  But I sometimes wonder how we would manage without that shared strength.  Would we?  Perhaps.  But it sure make me appreciate my loved ones.

POSTS BY EMAIL

Never miss a post. Enter your email to get my latest posts delivered to your inbox.

Comments

  1. Spondylolisthesis is a nasty bit of back injury. Has he tried water jogging yet?

    Your wife should look into the work of Judith Lasater, who specializes in restorative yoga. Lasater’s command of anatomy relevant to yoga is amazing. She does a training called Relax and Renew Yoga. Perhaps your wife could get certified in and teach that. It’s not an intense practice, but it is a strong practice. I don’t think there’s any reason why she shouldn’t continue to practice yoga, even with a degenerating spine.

    Also, water aerobics! There are never enough water aerobics instructors, at least where I am. So tell her to get involved teaching water aerobics classes! In the water, she’ll be able to do many movements that are off-limits on land.

  2. I loved this post. The importance of having a support system when it comes to your health can’t be stated enough. I’ve been dealing with two knee injuries for six years and was recently diagnosed with a chronic disease that makes exercise excruciating–but not in that good way. I don’t know how I could do anything if it weren’t for the strength of my husband. So glad you’re there to support one another.

  3. Awesome story! I think people fail to realize how our choices affect others. I am glad you realized it made positive changes for you, your family, friends & even strangers!

  4. Thanks for the support!

    She’s talked about the possibility of getting certified in Zumba Gold, but not committed yet. We hadn’t considered water aerobics though. That’s a wonderful idea! I’ll pass it along.

    • Greg – (I hope you will get this even though it is on Miz Fit’s blog).

      I am just reading this now (a month later) . . . too many blogs to read I don’t always get to them all or get back to them.

      Anyway . . . please don’t take this as an advertisement even though I am a Nia teacher, but has your wife ever heard of Nia? It is cardio-dance, but much more gentle than a lot of others out there. I can not vouch personally for it improving an injury or allowing me to work with one, but many others claim it helps or is just what they needed to do with whatever injury/illness/issue they have. Since so many say they have been helped by it, I wanted to let you/your wife know about it so she can look into and see for herself. I do it and teach it and I love it.

      Whatever she decides, I am sending thoughts of peace and that she will find something that she loves to do and can do that will enable her to continue to share her love of fitness.

  5. I love this post as well! The concept of fitness being a metaphor for physical but also emotional fitness is so important…but isn’t that what mizfit is all about as well. I noticed someone mentioned water aerobics for your wife. Simply walking or “jogging” in the water is also great exercise and easy on the spine. I hope that’s helpful.

  7. Beautiful post. It not only shows the individual strength of Greg and his wife, but their strength as a couple. It’s inspiring to hear him talking about facing these struggles together. Greg, my thoughts and best wishes are with you and your family!

  9. Greg, well written; thanks for sharing. Changing was hard, I can echo that. Still is I should say as I’m not far form my first days on my own mission. Support seems key, I can’t imagine doing this minus the support of family and of all the cool blogger folks I have met along the way. Whether it is just support for the day to day effort to swat a doughnut away or the support needed to overcome a health hurdle. Support is needed to succeed over the long haul; this is one of the many realizations I have come to see.

    Yes, fitness as entertainment… you couldn’t be more right!

  10. Just re-read this post again; it’s very timely for me. Having to make changes to your athletic identity is a really hard thing, whether temporary (fingers crossed!) or permanent. Thanks for sharing it, Greg, and thanks for featuring it, Miz!

Trackbacks

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This