Keep on getting up and getting after it

This might be a long one, but here it goes. As I said before, I am visually impaired and walk with a walker because of CP. I only started using a walker 8 years ago, but before that time I was able to walk around with some balance issues. I wore leg braces throughout middle and high school to try and get my walking improved. Eventually I stopped wearing them because they were uncomfortable and didn’t seem to be a permanent solution. My Senior year of high school came around and I was placed into a physical therapy program. The facility was connected to a Power House Gym and the therapist integrated my exercises into my use of the gym equipment. Exercise seemed to improve my walking a little so I kept at it for a while. I remember Saturday mornings going to this old school gym to work out, while my Mom walked around with me holding a clipboard to check off recommended exercise and make adjustments to the gym equipment I used. My part-time job at the time also let me utilize their gym to further my progress. When I left for college with my new Leader Dog, I fell off of my regular exercise routines. Although my dog was primarily for leading me around, he knew my balance/stability issues and was able to compensate for some of my issues in walking. Towards the end of my Senior year at college, I felt that I needed to get back into a routine and started attending a program through the Sports Medicine department at the health center, as well as acted as a ginny pig for the Occupational Therapy Practicum students. All of my measurements in strength/balance/flexibility were improved, but I fell off this routine again. During my grad school internship I started using the walker and although I hated it, the walker became a security device because I understood its use to my mobility. My first job was in Georgia where I didn’t know anyone. This gave me an excuse to be a Gym Rat at my apartment’s work-out facility. When I moved to Ohio, I again fell off and I felt my progress deteriorating. I tell you all of this because today marks 6 years that I’ve been consistently working on my fitness. I decided to get a specialist’s opinion and he subscribed physical therapy once again. How was this going to help any better than the past couple of times? I went with it, knowing if I improved enough the doctor wouldn’t have to resort to injections in the back of my legs. After months of working out daily in my apartment, I got word that injections were no longer necessary. For this news, I was overjoyed. During my PT program I started JiuJitsu as a way to cross-train with the exercises that my therapist recommended. Although I chose not to continue with PT, I stuck with JiuJitsu as a way to constantly surprise my body with new exercises to test my abilities. I have increased my body’s awareness to the point where I can identify when and where I should stretch/strengthen muscles to maintain greater mobility. Although I still use a walker, I have a greater amount of mobility than if I didn’t keep up with an exercise routine. I row, I bike, and I roll. EyeRoll4 the ability to make changes and keep going.