The Fitness Roller Coaster

Selfcare is such an important attribute to anyone’s life. Some don’t realise just how important it truly is. It can be seen as a many different aspect, each one coming together to improve your mood and reduce anxiety, as well as several other benefits. Looking after your mental, emotional and physical health is crucial to achieving these benefits in your life.

I never really looked after myself before I got sick. I played plenty of sport and tried to eat well, but never really gave it my all. I was always a bigger girl; it wasn’t until I had gotten sick that I decided to change things. Some how it had given me the push I needed. After months of sleep, I decided to start forcing myself out of bed of a morning and going for walks, the colder days I would use the treadmill. They were only small walks, but at the time that’s all I could do. Some mornings it would take me a half hour to walk around the block, solely because I was in so much pain, but I would push through it. After a while it became easier, I would start going for longer walks, in fact even start jogging. I was so excited when I jogged an entire lap of the neighbourhood for the first time! I was going well for some weeks, jogging further and longer each day, until I started feeling a pain in my leg. This pain slowly got worse, I never really thought much of it, just thought it was tight, until I got pneumonia. My leg swelled up so much so I couldn’t put jeans on, I got blood tests and scans and was asked to go to hospital before my final scan had been finished. I had a clot, running from ankle to groan on my right leg, I could barely walk at this point. After two weeks in hospital and several weeks before and after, I had to start over again, going for short walks to build my fitness back up.

A year of slow progress followed; I could see the change. I was happier, fitter, stronger. Until I was hospitalised for the second time, however, this time it seemed to help my fitness. I was put on steroids for several months due to low platelets. I was running every morning and afternoon, on weekends going for 2hr walks. I had so much energy I was practically buzzing when I woke up. I feel this was possibly the best thing that could have happened. I was at the peak of my fitness and loving it! But of course, the steroids had to end, I found it difficult adjusting, finding the energy that I used to have, knowing full well I wouldn’t have it again. I forced myself up of a morning to continue my runs, forced myself to go for those walks, to eat the right things and keep that weight off. And I did, it took me several months, however I got there, I was able to find the strength of a morning to get out of bed before the sun rose.

I did find it extremely difficult to get up most mornings, my bones were so fragile, I had no energy and no motivation. I was exhausted even when I woke. But I pushed through it every morning, no matter how much I was hurting that day. I found that the faster my blood was flowed, the easier I would get through the day.

Until I got arthritis. This really changed everything. I wasn’t able to move, I had to force myself out of bed to get to work and that was the only reason I would get up. Everything was hurting. It was extremely severe, before I got on the medication I couldn’t drive. I wasn’t able to move my hands, I could barely carry my own bag. My chronic fatigue came flooding back with tremendous pace at this time also.

Once I was able to get the arthritis under control, it took me some time to get back into my old routine, I had to change a lot of things, pretty well start from scratch again.

These days I do still need a spot of a nudge, just to give me that little bit of energy of a morning. using Luxe Fitness has helped so much by doing this. I use the Luxe Ultra Burner each morning when I first get up, and even though it only lasts for a few hours for me, it allows me to get so much done of a morning.

You don’t realise how much strength you have until you go through something that completely weakens you, and that’s when you realise you can do so much more. Before I got sick, I didn’t realise what I was capable of. It was only when I had to force myself out of bed that I started doing something for myself, started looking after myself. At this point in my life, I’m grateful for it. Lupus has changed my life for the better, in many ways, as weird as it sounds.

And that’s the power of self care, it can truly change everything. The way you look at things, the way to live your life, the way you treat yourself. As soon as I started looking after myself, yes with a bit of a nudge, I was able to change so much.

Thanks for reading!

Court xx