Having the Right Partners: Fitness

When living with disabilities, it is critical to have the right people in your life as partners. In this, most people first think of spouses/significant others and doctors. These are critical partners(and Lord knows I could not function without my husband), but there are others perhaps less obvious ones.

Today, let’s discuss my personal trainer (yes, I am that Scottsdale woman that people mock)… Who’d’ve ever thunk I would have a personal trainer? I started with him this past March with a groupon (yea Groupon!) with a goal to lose twenty pounds. Now Dave wasn’t sure what to think when he met me and heard all the health challenges (Lupus, Fibromyalgia, Sjogrens, Hashimoto’s thyroid, Celiac, osteoporosis, etc. etc. etc.), but he was game. The first session took me sitting in his office for the next hour to get my blood pressure and heart back to normal! After that, he gave me his WiFi password and I simply worked there after each workout until I could walk steady and not pass out. And yes, I have passed out during workouts.

But here’s the thing – he listens to me. He cannot watch me for the typical signals, because I am completely not typical. We disagree sometimes, but we respect each other’s knowledge and expertise – him with physical fitness, me with my body. And it works. We work. I may not be able to get in twice a week, but like today, I was in for the first time in a month and he sent me away with homework and would not schedule me for next week until we saw what repercussions I would have for today.

Beyond that – he fixed tendinitis in my right arm where PT could not do it for over 6 months.

Find the right partner. It is invaluable.

Tagged: dealing with chronic diseases, disability, fibromyalgia, lupus, physical fitness, sjogrens