Saturday In The Park

Maya Angelou said it best, “you want me to do something… tell me I can’t do it.”  That pretty much sums me up to a T.  Hi, my name is Pattie and I am stubborn.

So when I realized that I had been listening (and believing) statements like, “there is no cure”, “diet and exercise won’t touch the lippy fat”, etc.  I got pissed.  Pissed at myself because it had been almost 10 years since being diagnosed with primary Lipedema and secondary Lymphedema and I found myself sitting in my chair with my legs up (in an effort to keep the fluid from pooling in them), while my family lived their lives around me.  I decided my story was not going to end that way.  I was going to take control and make some changes.

It started slowly, a less than 5-minute walk from my car to my new job, climbing a flight of stairs one step at a time, etc.  Then before I knew it I was walking further, climbing quicker and today I workout in the park every Saturday morning with crazy fit athletes.

I was honored when the creator of one of the support groups I belong to asked me to start writing a weekly fitness post.  It was created to highlight fitness tips for others with Lipedema and/or Lymphedema, to hopefully inspire them to take back control of their lives and make some small steps at improving their fitness, and since it is a closed group I wanted to share the words here in the hope that, just maybe, it might help you, too.

TODAY’S TIP:  find a cheerleader.

It can be your mom, a significant other, or even an online buddy.  My cheerleader today was an elderly gentleman who approached our fitness group at the park and proceeded to give us tips on how to run.  We listened with respect, understanding his need to share, even though most there were runners themselves, but it didn’t stop there.  As he ran his laps on the track outside the field where I was doing my laps, squats & push-ups he would say little words of encouragement, “everyone would be here if it was easy”, “your doing great”, etc.  It may not seem like much, but hearing words of encouragement for the effort you put forth gets you back there next week and the week after.