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spiritwoman45
22314 posts
5/17/2015 4:28 pm
Back in the Saddle Again


I reached another milestone in my battle against arthritis. Several years ago a doctor told me to limit my exercise to walk, swim or ride a bike. I have to drive into town to swim until our pool is heated next month. Walking is way too slow for my ADD self. I only rode my bicycle a few times and that was an interesting endeavor. I could not swing my leg up and over the seat so I had to almost lay the bike on the ground and take a baby step. When it came time to get off and I was extra sore I had to lay it down to do so. Every push on the peddle sent pain shooting up my leg and back.. Dealing with chronic pain is an energy zapper so I had to cut what rides I did take short.

Not good. Although I didn't gain any weight all of the inactivity allowed more fat to migrate from places where it should be to my middle where it gets in the way. I found myself rapidly losing my flat stomach. The older we get the less it takes for everything to go to pot – literally.

But as I wrote about in earlier blogs I added the human version of my cat’s supplements to my supplement cocktail ( which includes Rich’s Moringa) about a month ago and that brought about steady improvement. I have been able to do even the heaviest of yard work with only slight discomfort and occasional pain and am working on rebuilding my endurance. I rode my bike a couple of times but my rides were still shortened ones.

Today I reached my goal. I was able to get on and off of the bike normally, no pain in my back or leg from peddling and was able to last for my usual 45 minutes. I was actually able to relax and enjoy the air rushing past me like I always did. Of course I dangled a carrot in front of myself. I had a subway sandwich last night and also got a chocolate chip cookie. I set the cookie aside and told myself no full work out no cookie. I’m celebrating and savoring the chocolate as I write this.



Spiritwoman ^i^


Nileyears 71F
4206 posts
5/17/2015 5:31 pm

What a cute picture of you and your bike.

Keep going, I've heard the best way to fight arthritis is to keep moving.

Enjoy that cookie!!


Simpleladyb2 74F
14822 posts
5/17/2015 5:42 pm

I envy women who can go bicycling. I never learned how to bike.

We have a catrike, one for Don and one for me. We used them when the weather is not warm. We wait till Autumn to use again.

You look great with that bicycle Spirit!


"The only way to have a friend is to be one."


Hawkslayer 88M
13299 posts
5/17/2015 5:44 pm

You are looking good and slim Spirit, well done on the biking.

Alfie...


It only takes a drop of ink to make a million people think. There are many stories.


shuel2002 65F
5537 posts
5/17/2015 7:00 pm

I'm not seeing the picture but you should be very proud of yourself. Keep it up, Spirit!!!

Elaine Shuel


frenchsalsa2 77F
7809 posts
5/17/2015 7:10 pm

Way to go Spirit... I believe in 'keep moving', mainly so we don't 'stiffen' up as the years go by. Looking good, girl!!


shuel2002 65F
5537 posts
5/17/2015 7:53 pm

I see the pic now. You look wonderful.

Elaine Shuel


spiritwoman45

5/18/2015 11:04 am

    Quoting Nileyears:
    What a cute picture of you and your bike.

    Keep going, I've heard the best way to fight arthritis is to keep moving.

    Enjoy that cookie!!
Movement is essential for arthritis and difficult because it hurts. Hurts if you do but will hurt more in time if you don't.

Spiritwoman ^i^


spiritwoman45

5/18/2015 11:07 am

    Quoting Simpleladyb2:
    I envy women who can go bicycling. I never learned how to bike.

    We have a catrike, one for Don and one for me. We used them when the weather is not warm. We wait till Autumn to use again.

    You look great with that bicycle Spirit!

I remember your pictures of your catrike. It is a great idea and probably much safer for people our age than a regular bicycle.

Like you I only ride in cooler weather. This spring has been well below normal temperature wise making swimming uncomfortable but definitely extended the bike season.


Spiritwoman ^i^


spiritwoman45

5/18/2015 11:09 am

    Quoting Hawkslayer:
    You are looking good and slim Spirit, well done on the biking.

    Alfie...
Thank you - not quite slim but at least keeping it in the "average" range

Spiritwoman ^i^


spiritwoman45

5/18/2015 11:13 am

    Quoting  :

This one is a beach cruiser or almost the same as the 3 speed ones we had when we were kids. I had both a mountain bike and a racing bike for a while (hand me downs from my kids) but found the multi gears a bit more than I wanted to deal with. I am amused by my daughter who passed on the 18 speed mountain bike to me. She now rides a one speed beach cruiser on the city streets with a couple of "ducklings" following her.

Spiritwoman ^i^


spiritwoman45

5/18/2015 11:15 am

    Quoting  :

There are days when I think I take more supplements than food but as long as it works. Perhaps part of the difficulty is that a we age we just don't eat enough of the right things and our bodies start slowing down on processing what we do eat.

Spiritwoman ^i^


spiritwoman45

5/18/2015 11:16 am

    Quoting frenchsalsa2:
    Way to go Spirit... I believe in 'keep moving', mainly so we don't 'stiffen' up as the years go by. Looking good, girl!!
And the stiffness gets worse with age. I find myself stiffening up if I sit through a long movie without getting up to stretch a time or 2.

Spiritwoman ^i^


spiritwoman45

5/18/2015 11:20 am

    Quoting shuel2002:
    I see the pic now. You look wonderful.
Thank you. Staying as healthy as I can is my major goal at this point in my life. I make a smart azz remark about my body going from maneuvering like a Ferrari to like a Mack truck. Unfortunately there is more truth than sarcasm in that.

Spiritwoman ^i^


spiritwoman45

5/18/2015 11:21 am

    Quoting  :

You are so right - feeling good is the goal. I can understand your nervousness. I am far from as nimble a rider as I used to be which is scary because falls at our age are much worse.

Spiritwoman ^i^


spiritwoman45

5/18/2015 11:24 am

    Quoting  :

Thank you. I always wanted a pink bike when I was a kid but don't remember even seeing any then. I figure it is never too late to get something you have always wanted. Now for the next little silly thing. I always wanted a blue birthday cake with blue icing. Never got one because my mother insisted that cakes couldn't be blue.

Spiritwoman ^i^


spiritwoman45

5/18/2015 11:26 am

    Quoting  :

It sure isn't. Being athletic all of my life I had lots of injuries but they healed and the pain left rather quickly. This old stuff is different. It hangs around.

Spiritwoman ^i^


spiritwoman45

5/18/2015 11:27 am

    Quoting  :

You are welcome.

Spiritwoman ^i^


spiritwoman45

5/18/2015 11:29 am

    Quoting  :

I hope to "maintain" for a while - at least the feeling better part. I find it ironic how hard we have to work for the things we took for granted in our youth. Perhaps this is because we had nothing to compare things to.

Spiritwoman ^i^


GLUMO 88F
9730 posts
5/18/2015 5:25 pm

In the picture you look lovely, Spirit. Hope your arthritis is no so painful and you get better every day.


Trust in dreams, for in them is hidden the gate to eternity.(Khalil Gibran)