As a 62 year-old, 103-pound, scooter-driving woman diagnosed with primary progressive MS over sixteen years ago, I'm probably not the person who came to mind when you saw the title of this article. But that's the whole point: If I can do it, maybe you can too.
One year ago I decided it was time to try working out at my local gym. Not on my own, mind, but with the help of a personal trainer. I'd been swimming laps a couple of times a week for about four years and had been pleased with the strength and energy it gave me, but it was time to expand my horizons.
Fortunately there was a small independently-owned gym not far from my house that seemed a good place to start. It was even handicap-accessible! When I arrived for my initial appointment with Matt LaCroix, the head trainer, I was happy to see a good number of gray-headed folks working out on the machines. So at least this wasn't a place where only the young and strong would be welcome.
Matt also made that clear in his words and attitude. In fact, he'd worked with a man diagnosed with Parkinson's for a couple of years and had developed a special program for him. I was especially encouraged when he asked specific questions about my condition and said he'd like to confer with his training physicians before we started to work together.
Matt sounded like a trainer who would respect my limits but also expect me to give it my best. That was exactly what I'd wanted to hear. We agreed to start with a half-hour workout twice a week.
This is what I wrote in my online journal on March 23, 2004:
What a good beginning! Matt LaCroix, my personal trainer at the gym, had obviously done his homework. He'd developed a program of four different exercises for me to try: 1) standing leg swings, to lengthen and strengthen my groin muscles that tighten up in wheelchair users whose legs are always bent; 2) standing squats designed to strengthen my quads, gluts and knees, while stretching my achilles tendons; 3) sitting arm pulls with a 8 lb. weight, to strengthen my shoulder and back muscles, hands, biceps, and help me correct my posture; 4) roll-downs and pull-ups using the resistance of a 8 lb. weight, an exercise that strengthens my upper body and stomach muscles.
Matt instructed, assisted, encouraged and challenged me while always respecting my limits. We worked a half hour which he feels is enough for now. We have an appointment at noon on Friday for another half-hour session. This guy is great!
I feel VERY encouraged. It was obvious that I've lost a great deal of strength and ability, but I also know myself well enough to know that, given my history of persistent application to a goal plus the help of an excellent personal trainer like Matt, I will regain everything that I possibly can. It's funny. I already feel better about myself. Even sitting here at the computer, I am conscious of sitting up straight and not slumping like I usually do. I also got out of my scooter and am trying to do some walking around the house with my walker. Attitude is everything.
I am woman; I am strong!
Yes, attitude IS everything. As the year progressed and my strength and endurance increased, I began to see how much my mind had influenced my expectations of myself. The diagnosis of primary progressive MS had, in itself, caused me to settle for less than I was capable of doing. Now that I was "pushing the envelope," so to speak, I was regaining my pre-MS attitude that I could do and be more than I could ever imagine.
The key was to listen to my body and respect its limits while pushing it to the utmost. Maintaining that delicate balance meant the difference between strengthening my body and putting myself at risk of injuries from falls. Only once did I miss the mark.
A year has passed and, in addition to swimming a half mile of laps Monday and Wednesday evenings, I work out at the gym with Matt for an hour on Tuesday and Friday mornings. The program Matt has designed for me is always evolving and utilizes a combination of free-standing, bench, mat and machine-based exercises. I am still on an upward curve in terms of strength and endurance. Sometimes it feels like the sky's the limit.
I'm not the only one who's pleased. This is what my trainer, Matt LaCroix, has to say:
Patricia's progress over the last year has remained steady and consistent. She has far surpassed the expectations that I had of her, certainly not due to any lack of effort or dedication on her part, but rather the fact that I had never worked with anyone who had been diagnosed with MS. I am certain that she has only begun to tap into her full potential and I look forward to seeing exactly what she is capable of achieving. I have learned from her to question my own limitations. Knowing her has truly been a blessing.
I still use a scooter to get around, but have regained my ability to walk with a walker inside my house. I can stand and dance (using one hand to hold onto my scooter) for hours at a time. I actually dance my friends "under the table," as they say. My energy level is so high that readers of my daily online journal (http://www.windchimewalker.com) often say they get tired just reading of my exploits. I recently drove with a friend from Detroit to Washington, DC and took the wheel of my handicap-accessible minivan for nine hours going and eight hours returning home. And much of the trip was through snow.
Of course, working out at the gym is not for everyone. You'll need to find a good personal trainer and a gym that is physically and attitudinally handicap-accessible. And if you, like I, carry emotional baggage about being disabled, you'll first need to open your mind to the possibility that your body has more potential for growth and change than you realize.
As for me, my body has regained its status as an ally, not an enemy. Not only that, when I flex my biceps, something actually happens!