The Truth About Exercise

At my yearly check-up, my doctor told me to exercise more.

She tells me this every year and, truthfully, I always brush the recommendation off.

I go for loads of walks. I hike. I even swim twice a week (before COVID of course). I figured that was enough.

Yelaina's paediatrician also tells us, at every visit, to make sure that she is exercising regularly.

I thought we had that covered too.

The kids bike every day, run around outside with their friends and hike with Marek and I once a week.

It turns out that's even close to enough exercise for any of us.

Except Luka.

Covid-19 popped my bubble of fitness denial and self-isolation forced us all to recognize the huge gaps in our individual lives. One of those gaps was fitness.

It wasn't pretty.

We were sedentary in our isolation and it triggered Yelaina's T.S. in a big way. We suffered through a month of impulsive outbursts, daily temper tantrums and absolutely no sleep. That was when I realized that our lifestyle needed an overhaul.

I think that is a big reason why I adopted my game of Movie-Star-make-believe.

And through attempting to transform my own body, I rediscovered the total joy that is exercise. Daily high intensity workouts helped my sleep, evened out my moods and regulated my joint pain.

Working out every day was exhausting. It still is. When the doctor said I needed to exercise more, I had absolutely no idea that she meant THIS MUCH!

So, given the recommendations from her paediatrician, I passed the joy along to Yelaina.

Our first time biking together, she yelled and cried the entire way up the mountain and then told me her life story all the way down.

For a week, we took the kids our hiking or biking every single day.

For Luka, that was plenty. He was thrilled to ride his bike over roots and rocks and he happily stopped to smell every flower in his past.

But our trip to Stoney Mountain, as pictured here, proved that Yelaina more, as her temper continued to rage and sleep was ever elusive.

Now, Yelaina's brain is wired different. It is my understanding that her Basil Ganglia is firing so fast that the poor Striatum can't shield all of the impulses fired at it.

Think of it this way... If the Millennium Falcon's shields were only working at 50%, Han Solo would never enter into battle with the Imperial fleet. If he did, the Falcon would get absolutely pummelled.

That pummelling is what happens to Yelaina's brain every day, so we have to work twice as hard to keep her shields working properly.

Right now, exercise is the key.

So, after dinner each night either Marek or I take Yelaina up a mountain, out for a run or we go biking up big hills. We understand that if she is not fall down tired by the end of her workout, her brain will not rest.

On those days when we diligently exercise our girl, she has excellent control of her temper, her tics are moderate and she sleeps.

But it is a huge commitment, for her and for Marek and I.

As I sit here writing this super long post, I can honestly tell you that I am exhausted. I ran this morning for myself and the last thing I want to do on this Saturday evening is to put on my workout gear again and do intervals with Yelaina.

Seriously, every muscle in my body aches just thinking about it.

But, I will do it and it will get me one step closer toward my movie star goal. Better yet, it will get my girl one step closer toward living her best life.

So, what do you say? Want to come workout with us?

Week 17 | The Truth About Exercise