No one can deny the virtues and benefits of exercise and why it's good for you. Unfortunately for most of us the social aspect of our illness makes us both unable to exercise as normal people would or even want to go out and perform any type of exercise due to the fear of having an accident somewhere along the way. However it doesn't have to be that way. Don't think of exercise for you as being the conventional exercise of walking around the block, running the track or going to the gym. After all social phobia is an unfortunate side effect of what we go through for many reasons, body image, fear of soiling yourself, embarrassment or a combination of those or other things. In cases such as those or in cases where anemia or other attributed ailments prevent you from venturing to far from the comfort and safety from home then you must take different steps to ensure that you too can get some exercise not only to strengthen the body but to help the healing process and to soothe both the mind and soul.
You can always buy exercise equipment but if you are like most people you will use it once and then discard it with the promise that you will use it again tomorrow which then after so many tomorrow turns to next year. You can also buy videos and video games as well but those also require a commitment and time set aside that you may or may not have, as well as in some cases, competing for use of the television from your kids or significant others.
Therefore what may be the best solution? Keep in mind that this is not about losing weight, about trying to look good in a speedo or even about training to run the L.A. Marathon. No we are attempting to create an exercise regiment in order to stimulate and enhance your body's healing processes, to keep your mind occupied and aware from the constant nagging thought that you might have to go to the bathroom and above all to keep you sane and to control you illness, to get independence from it and not let it control your life.
So then what do we do? Simple. Modify your daily activities to allow for some exercise within them. What does this mean? It means the following. If you are going to make mashed potatoes for dinner don't buy the pre-made ones but instead make your own. It takes longer but the process of mashing and whipping them will give you some exercise, it may give some soreness as well but the much improved taste of homemade mashed potatoes is so much more worth it. If you have dishes to wash then wash them by hand. Not only will they be free of the occasional washer crud but while you wash and dry them your mind is free to zone off and relax in a strange meditative stage.
Or if you are doing nothing more than watching television then whenever a commercial appears take the time to get up and stretch and walk to the kitchen, the other end of your house, apartment or studio. In all honesty it's irrelevant what you do and how you do it but what is important is that you do something other than simply do nothing. And once you are comfortable not simply sitting around and waiting for the urge to go to the restroom to arise then we can start talking about going outdoors and running the track or walking to the market or maybe even running the L.A. marathon.
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