By How do you exercise is a frequent question I get asked. I could record a video in answer. The thought makes me extremely uncomfortable. Writing an answer does not bother me in the least. When I was a teenager mama ordered me an all sitting exercise video. I have a DVD copy now, however. Some of the exercises I could not physically do, so we took it to my next physical and occupational therapy appointments. Watching it with my therapists: we adapted the routine for me. They suggested I do the routine 5x a week. I do my best to still follow their suggestion.
The routine includes a ball at one point. Once a upon a time I used a rubber ball from the toy department of a store. Wanting more strength training, I switched to a resistant band for almost the entire sitting part of exercise. Free weights make my tone worse for some reason. No clue the reason why, but it’s true. Resistance bands are my best option for strength training. For the non-sitting part of my exercise routine: I go in bathroom and use my grab bar to make sure I do not fall.
The soundtrack to my exercise DVD is awful, so for a long time I just muted my TV and turned-on music that makes me want to move. I still do, but I don’t need to use the DVD anymore because I know what to do. This allows me to make my workouts as hard and intense as I want. The more tired I make my muscles, the better I feel CP wise and overall. This has always been the case. Regular exercise is a vital of thriving with my condition and my health, wellness, and self-care journeys as well.
