Keeping going when the pain is no longer there

Our health is one of those weird things that we don't really think about until something isn't working properly or we are in pain

I think why I didn't enjoy pregnancy the first time round was because I expected things to work/feel as they always did, and that definitely wasn't true anymore!  It's also why peri-menopause is a challenge...

I certainly never considered my pelvic floor until after having my first baby/prolapse

And when I injured my back, the constant pain impacted everything I did

And yet...

When things improve, we forget how it was 

Which is good and normal

But more often than not, we also stop doing the very things that helped us to improve in the first place!

I've heard that a few times from class participants - it worked, so I stopped doing it!

It's also been true for me recently

I always have specific times for fitting things in:

• I do lymph work whilst waiting for the kettle to boil first thing
• Hypopressives when making my breakfast
• I do foot mobility when I come in from my walk
• and I stretch whilst sitting on the floor, watching the TV at night

But since school changed to an earlier start time and I started WalkFit, my mornings have become busier

And so my lymph and Hypopressives have become a little more sporadic

It didn't seem to make a difference at first...

But I've been noticing some things and wondering whether it's because I've stopped doing the things that helped me so much in the past

I started them both for definite reasons!

And really, those reasons haven't gone away, even if they are less pressing now

So it's all about maintenance

- now I need to decide a time again to make sure I am practicing more regularly

That's why it's so important to find something you enjoy doing and something that fits in to your routine easily

Because you need to be able to keep going with it

Both to get the results you want

But also, probably, to maintain those results

Is there something you used to do that made you feel good but you've forgotten about?

Doesn't even have to be exercise - I had my first proper soak in a bath last night since our bathroom was done (the bath had leaked ever since) and it was lovely. 

And we had a chat about books in class on Thursday and it reminded me how much I used to love to curl up with a good book.  Nowadays I only read at night and am falling asleep within two pages!  So I'm going to make time during the day to just sit and read

What about you?

Sarah x

PS I'm starting my next round of Fit in Fifteen - so if you missed out first time you can join here:

Fit in Fifteen

Here's a few comments from participants so far:

"I'm finding them great & it's really working well for me"

"By the end of the fifteen minutes I feel much more lively and it seems to make a difference to the way I approach my day"

"These early morning exercises are just what I need"