When Your Body Changes the Rules
As a former gym teacher, I always believed that I could handle getting older. As long as I stayed fit, I could continue doing whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, without restrictions. But when I had my first brain surgery seven years ago for an arteriovenous malformation, a result of a nasty fall, that was a real kick in the gut. Suddenly, I couldn’ t just do what I wanted, whenever I wanted, and it was incredibly frustrating.
A second surgery a year ago reinforced that lesson, especially as I continue to adjust to changes in my energy levels. But when you undergo a major surgery, the body doesn’ t care about your pride: it focuses on healing. It forces you to slow down. For the first time, I had to learn how to accept help, and yes, even ask for it( not something that I was used to).
Staying healthy looks a bit different now. Some days, a walk with my dog takes everything I’ ve got. I’ m tired, I’ m dragging, I’ m at the back of the group, but when I’ m done, I think yes! I might need to take a nap afterwards, but that’ s okay. I’ ve learned that it’ s not about doing things perfectly or at the same pace I once did; it’ s about showing up and making progress, however small it may seem. It takes more of a conscious effort than it used to, but I’ m still moving.
Learning to Pay Attention
As I get older, one of the biggest lessons I’ ve learned is the importance of listening to my body. When I was working full-time, I had a bad habit of just pushing through everything. If I didn’ t feel well, I ignored it and carried on, telling myself I didn’ t have time to be sick. Looking back, I wasn’ t paying attention to the signs my body was giving me until circumstances forced me to pause. If you’ ve spent a lifetime caring for everyone else, learning to extend that same concern to oneself can feel like unfamiliar territory.
Now, when something feels different or off, I stop and ask questions. I’ ve learned that catching things early can make all the difference. I think a lot of us struggle with this as we age. There’ s a tendency to brush things off as“ just getting older” or to avoid speaking up because you don’ t want to admit that your body is changing, which is hard to accept.
But I’ ve come to understand that you have to be your own advocate, because you know your body better than anyone else. Having a good support system can also help. Even hearing someone else say,“ You should get that checked,” gives you the permission that you might feel you need to take action. I’ ve also let go of the idea that I can do everything, anytime. Accepting my limits hasn’ t made my life smaller; it’ s made me more aware of my health and more at peace with where I am now.
Choosing to Begin
For most of us, the hardest part of staying healthy is finding the motivation. We can talk ourselves out of doing something quite easily, but I challenge you to push yourself through that feeling and get moving. A 2025 study from the University of Victoria showed that for new gym-goers, it took four to six weeks for it to become a habit. Don ' t let yourself slide: It becomes more difficult to get up and get moving each time you decide not to go. If it helps, think of having a former gym teacher( like me!) standing by you, cheering you on:“ You can do it— just start now!”
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