Creating a Fitness Program I Could Stick With

I used to think that exercising with psoriatic arthritis was impossible. However, in the past year and a half I have learned that while it may be difficult at times, it is possible to incorporate exercise into my daily life.

Getting real with myself

The first thing I had to do was to get real. I had to stop thinking about exercise the same way that I did prior to becoming ill. My body wasn’t the same, so it was ridiculous for me to expect it to be able to perform the way it used to. I had to let go of fantasies that included running for miles a day, doing high impact aerobics, or climbing mountains. I had to get real and chose exercises that my body could do at that moment. Walking wasn’t an option when I first began exercising regularly in January 2017. At that time I had to focus on what wouldn’t cripple me or sentence me to days or weeks in bed. So I focused on what I could do, which was using a rowing machine, a stepper, and practicing yoga. As time went on I grew stronger and was later able to add daily walks. Currently, I am unable to work my upper body due to an injury, but I am still able to meet my walking goal. There have been a few days that I haven’t been able to meet my goal, but not many. I not only had to get real about what I could do when I first started, I also had to accept that my workouts would have to evolve and change depending on what was going on with my body at any given moment.

Making a commitment

The second thing I had to do was to come up with an amount of time I was willing to commit to exercising on a daily basis. Workouts were no longer a means to a short-term goal like losing weight. Instead, they became a commitment to living the rest of my life the best that I can. In the beginning, my commitment was for walking five minutes a day. Stop laughing! Five minutes may not sound like a big deal, but it is a huge deal when you haven’t exercised in over a decade! Soon after proving to myself that I could dedicate five minutes of my day to exercising, I began increasing my daily commitment. Some days I exceed my commitment, but no matter what I always try my hardest to meet my minimum goal. The only exception is when my body absolutely refuses to cooperate.

Stop making excuses

A full blown flare that doesn’t allow my head to leave the pillow, causes my world to spin, or consumes my body so intensely that breathing becomes painful is the only reason I allow myself to skip a workout. Unlike the old me, I no longer use my life as an excuse. I refuse to use traveling, going out with friends, working, stress, and more as excuses. Instead of trying to fit exercise into my life, I plan my life around my workout routine. Allowing flexibility in what form of exercise I partake in also helps me stick to my commitment.

Have you committed to exercising regularly? What form of exercise do you find best for your body at the moment?