Exercise Motivation, my life experience.

When I was in my 20s I was involved in a car accident and I ended up staying in hospital for a few months. I ended up having three operations on both my legs to repair the fractured tibia plateau and tibia and fibular and my pelvic bone. I had to move out of our house and moved back in with my parents. This was a very trying time as I was not allowed to use my own legs while they were healing.

Accepting my fate

Initially I resented what had happened and I was really upset, it took a few weeks for me to accept my fate. This got me to reflect on my life and to realise what was important. I missed running around after my small children. I did not think I would ever be able to join my husband that year, but with accepting my fate, I thanked God that my life had been spared. I looked at my glass as half full and filled It took about 6 months before I could try to walk on crutches. I started physiotherapy which enabled me to regain my strength. Accepting my fate made me attack phyisio with such commitment such that, as soon as I could walk again on crutches, I managed return to work.

The orthopaedic surgeon who had tended to my legs had told me that I would have to keep my weight controlled, or else I would eventually need knee replacement surgery. This made me realise that I had to make major life style changes to care for myself and watch my health. I started doing low impact exercises to preserve my knees. I stopped eating fatty foods and sweets. We bought an indoor exercise bike which I used daily and when possible I also went swimming regularly and within a month of walking on crutches, I was as good as new.

Making lemons from lemonade

Unfortunate life events happen for a reason. Take the opportunity to learn from any difficulties that arise in your life. I made a conscious choice to exercise daily to strengthen my legs. I felt even more fitter than when I had been in before the accident because I barely ever exercised. Before this incident, as an adult I had never taken exercise as seriously and consistently as I did on this road to recovery. I had notion that exercise was for the rich. What motivated me to continue to exercise was that when I exercised, I managed to take care of my household efficiently as well. I felt that without exercise I got a bit tired and exercise actually boosted all my energy.

Take the opportunity to learn from different difficulties

The injuries I sustained also gave me an opportunity to be able to understand what my body needed. I researched on the foods to eat to ensure that my bones recovered efficiently. I ate apple seeds, took calcium tablets and also spent a lot of time in the Sun. If your bones break when you are a child, the bones heal so quickly because you’re growing, but as a 20 something old woman extra measures had to be in place to make this happen quicker and efficiently.

Preparation for exercise

What I found was that if there was too much to prepare for my exercise, I got a bit lazy and at times ended up not exercising. I therefore realised that, in order to be disciplined, I needed to make the preparation as easy as possible. If I was going swimming in the morning I would put on my swimming costume before leaving the house, instead of changing when I got to the pool.

Put measures in place to make the preparation to exercise effortless

To make the swimming comfortable, I found I needed goggles, swimming cap and ear plugs as well, therefore I kept an exercise bag by the door to pick up on my way out.

Now that I have discovered online exercises, I make sure that my exercise gear is in the bathroom ready for me to put it on before I go downstairs to exercise before work.

Are you struggling with exercise? Are you finding it difficult to ensure that you exercise 3 to 4 times a week? The trick is to remove any obstacles and to also minimise any more difficulties that would hinder you or make your exercise routine uncomfortable. Protect that time for your exercise and ensure you put measures in place to prevent you from making excuses.