Usually when we think of physical wellness we think of only preventative health practices and of how it relates to maintaining a healthy body through exercising, eating well, and getting adequate sleep/rest. But what if you are older as I am or have had a life altering event, as I did with a car accident in 2014. At 72, even though I have practiced wellness for many years, I fin
d that I am having some definite physical challenges where I can’t exercise the same way and don’t always get adequate rest. Before the accident I was walking 10k steps per day, doing flexibility exercises, yoga, and dancing ,ballroom style, several days a week and competing several times a year through the Fred Astaire Dance Studios. This has changed and that change can be a challenge. So, what do I do and what can you do! First, I make health a priority. We have to make the decision to pursue healthy habits and exercise. That means taking time to be healthy. It includes healthy eating and getting enough sleep. But how does one exercise, when they can no longer do the exercises they loved. Exercise as such was never one of my priorities, which is why I danced and walked. But, exercise, even if it is begun later in life, benefits overall health. If I had not been as healthy from dance and walking when I had the accident I would not have healed as well as I did, especially after 70.
Michael Roizen suggests that we should walk 10k steps, no excuses allowed. But the first step is to start moving. I am not up to 10k steps yet, but I am trying to walk more every day even if it is around the house in bad weather. I have also substituted walking in the lazy river in a rec center close by and I swim one lap once a week. It doesn’t seem like much but, with a lingering shoulder injury, it is a beginning and something I am building up each week. The main idea is to keep doing more even if it is only 1 step. This week I had a 10k day and two 7k days. Find a place to walk where you enjoy it and, if you can, someone to walk with. I have a great path around my neighborhood and it gives 
me a chance to say hi to my neighbors which is good social wellness. I also like several parks in the area that have geese and ducks to watch. I love when the swans have babies and it keeps the walks interesting. Walking also goes by so much faster when you are talking to a friend.
I had two different sets of physical therapy to gain the use of my left arm and shoulder and left side which was weak from the accident. It was amazing to me how many older adults don’t finish their therapy or continue doing it after the actual sessions. It is life-altering if you don’t continue as you lose functioning fast. It is easy to get discouraged, but there are many benefits to staying the course and continuing to work at healing. Make goals for yourself and play games with it. Compete against yourself and what you did yesterday and your goals for tomorrow. Speak positively to yourself. Tell yourself you can do it and make your goals small so you can reach them and not get discouraged. I think my biggest challenge is not getting discouraged or frustrated because I can’t do what I could 2 years ago. I have to look forward and not at what I did. One of the perks to walking for me is reduced pain in my shoulder and arm. When I first started walking after the accident I hadn’t realized that my arm was totally immobile and I was holding it to my side due to the pain and habit. Now it swings more naturally even thought I haven’t gained strength back yet. It is a work in progress and I look at each step in the process as a gain and the meeting of my goal.
Yoga is also great for flexibility, which we lose as we age. I taught yoga for older adults before I was an older adult and loved the book I used. It is now very useful in helping me get back to doing yoga. The book is Easy Does It Yoga for Older People
Next week let’s change the emphasis and talk about Occupational Wellness. Are you happy in your job? If you are older, are you retired or still actively working? Safe journeys until next week :).