on movement
I turned 40 last year, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned as the daughter of two senior parents with complicated health issues, it’s that movement is essential to positive health outcomes. No, movement isn’t a cure for everything—medical care is crucial and should be a human right, but we all know how that is going, at least in America. But back to movement… I have a complicated history with movement. I hated the run laps around the gym/sit-ups/public shaming of childhood gym class. I also had a weird history with medical professionals that convinced my mom that exercise was bad for my back. Hello, spina bifida occulta. Yes, I have a bad back, not engaging in core exercises was probably not the best idea, but here we are.
My love of movement started in my 20s, when I started with walks around campus, which later morphed into interval runs, 5ks, yoga, and Pilates at home (thank you, local library DVDs). Enter full time employment, long commutes, and hours of sitting at a desk for work and creative pursuits, and my relationship with movement started to look a little different. It became harder to run every day, so yoga for more than 20 minutes a few times a week, or do more than catch a few minutes of walking during my breaks. I have a love/hate relationship with my office—it’s beautiful, the location gives me ample opportunity to walk in nature, but my 2-hour commute is a killer for movement. Over the last 10 years (wow!), it’s done a number on my physical wellness. Add several injuries over the last 4 years (I am the Queen 👑 of stupid falls), and I hit 40 feeling like I was never going to get my stamina back.
So, last year, I made it my mission to do something about it. I started lifting weights… light weights at first, because a shoulder injury in 2020 led to a biopsy that led to an “inconclusive” discovery, and 5 years later, I’m due for my yearly check-up to make sure nothing has changed.
All that to say, my right shoulder has been through it and I still don’t know why it likes to hurt on occasion, though I now know how to recognize the signs to prevent further injury.
Last June, I started doing Lift with Cee’s full body lifting workouts, using 5 and 8 lb weights, and struggling to complete some of the moves.
Nearly 7 months later, I’m up to 15s and 12s, using the 8s and 5s for the moves that trigger the shoulder twinge, or when that luteal phase is hitting hard. I’m lifting 3 days a week and I have seen the changes in my body, but the greatest change is knowing that I’m taking steps towards ensuring that I can continue to be independent as I age. I hurt my knee last April (like I said, lots of injuries), and being able to bend into a squat has been such a blessing. I’ve done physical therapy for the shoulder and the knee, and both times, my main goal has been to be able to get back to a place where I can continue to engage in movement without pain.
My dad had hip surgery when I was in college, so about 18 years ago. Because of complications, he never fully recovered. His arthritis has only gotten worse and he has reached a stage where he is in near constant pain and severely limited in his mobility. Anything can happen between now and the time I reach my dad’s age, but I know that the best thing I can do to prepare for that is to keep moving and build strength to support my already genetically messed up joints.
Here’s to aging well 🥂
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Note to longtime readers: In case you missed the last year’s update, I changed my name to Emilia Grace on most of my socials to align with my penname.
