By no means am I an expert.  Just a person with MS trying to live a full life (and for me that always includes as much physical activity as I can muster).

I have worked very hard and put in many, many hours trying to figure out how to be active with this crazy disease.

If you have questions about trying to get moving (even if it seems out of reach), share here. 

I am coming off the best winter of skiing I've have in over 25 years.  The adaptations and persistance paid off not only in skiing ability but in improved mood, confidence and the desire to keep moving in the right direction.

No matther where you are in this journey - if you desire to be active, take the first step!

It's winter time - so, after many years,  I had the bright idea to try skiing again.  Good idea?  With compromised balance and limited control over and feeling in my feet?  Why not!

The first outing was an utter disaster!  After falling every single time I put pressure on my right leg and about 75% of the time I put the pressure on my left - I bumped and bruised my way down the hill.  Gravity won and I eventually ended up at the bottom of the hill

Enough, already.  What was I thinking?

My very clever husband ordered me a set of "skis" (otherwise known as blades) which are 99 cm long.  My traditional skis were already short by common standards (130 cm - I am 5'4").  The blades are ridiculously short.

I snapped in and WA LA!  I made it down the same hill with many, many, many fewer falls.  After a day of skiing, I was navigating down that hill!!

The season is coming to an end here in PA, but I skiied through the winter!

A little persistence, a little moxy and a whole lot of innovation in moving to smaller skis and I'm back on the hill!

Stay at it!  Be flexible!

Ski on - or as the snowboarders say, :SEND IT!

Ang

Two Important Words

Two important words to live by:  OVER and NEXT

If it's OVER, it's OVER - let it go and move onto what's NEXT.

Don't fret about NEXT - just tackle whatever is NEXT.

And if you are really good at living in the moment, string a hammock between OVER and NEXT and take a nice rest!

When the GOING gets rough

Sometimes it's hard to get those legs GOING.  It's as if they have a mind of their own.  Your mind is saying "Let's Go" and their mind is saying "No Way."

Some ways to keep going when walking or standing is a NO GO:

• easy floor yoga - breathe, stretch and be as strong as you can be for today
• stationary bike - spin as best you can
• get in the pool - swim, walk, tread water, water run
• row - rowing provides a good workout for the days when the upper body works but the legs don't

Move as much as you can today.  Stand up.  Touch your toes.  Reach for the sky.  Do it now and do it often.  

You can move!

Getting Back on the Saddle

We (mostly) all take breaks from time to time.

I seem to have taken quite a long one!  Seems to me that I feel like blogging and thinking about strategies to combat MS challenges the most when I am fighting the good fight and following the advice to be active and headstrong.

Backing off from physical activity (for good reasons or not), seems to correlate with backing off from mentally attacking this puzzle of maintaing mobility and strength.

So, here we go.  I've been working on increasing physical activity this month and here I am back at the keyboard.

Wish me luck - or encouragement!

Join me, if you you please.

Spring!

The spring wildflowers are blooming and calling us all to the trails!

Going to the woods in the spring is a HABIT for me.

How do we form habits?  More importantly, how do we form constructive, positive habits?

Schedules work for me.  If I set a schedule (and do not let myself off the hook), I tend to wear a groove in my day where a positive activity dwells.  Running has become one of those HABITS.

Most all of our behaviors are habit based:  what we eat, when we eat it, whether or not we exercise, how we interact with others, ...  I think we are pre-programmed to work in a habitual manner.

So, I'm thinking a lot about the habits that dictate daily life and how to assure the HABITS are as positive as they can be.

The wildflowers will bloom - will I be there to appreciate them?  You?

Friends In Need

I've gotten word this week that three - count 'em 3! - friends have been diagnosed with cancer.  One, diagnosed with lymphoma, is awaiting a more accurate diagnosis and treatment plan.  One had successful surgery.  And, one can't get an appointment with the recommended Johns Hopkins surgeon until January 20.

All the love and support we can offer go out to these three and their amazing families!  It's hard to see their lives turn on a dime like this.  We stand with you to support you and offer whatever meager offerings we can.  I think of the Christmas story of the little drummer boy - he gave what he had, his talent to make music.

Even if we lack money and means, let us offer one another support, encouragement, love and security as we wrestle our mortal bodies. Let us stand, side by side, offering what we have to lift up each other during the Christmas Season!