My sweet wife passed away about a year ago after a 16 month battle with cancer. I was her caregiver and I was very thankful to have served her in this role.

It was hard, it was brutal but it was my honor to ‘walk her home for the last mile’.

In the course of all the demands of caregiving, the psychological chaos in my interior and the anticipatory grief, my exercise went to the wayside. I just could not leave her side except for short periods of time. I just couldn’t.

So my exercise and my movement were interrupted. I am certain that my blood sugar rose during this time of inactivity … glucose sticks confirmed it. My low energy levels also confirmed it. My brain fog confirmed it.

And even after her passing, I was mired psychologically in grief. Unable to muster the motivation to get off the couch and out the door.

Until recently.

The inner pressure to get moving again had built up to the point that I simply had to reestablish my exercise routine or die.

So … I drove to the gym and was astonished at how my muscle mass had diminished. I was equally freaked out at how winded I would get on the treadmill. I had clearly regressed. Oh, for good reason I suppose but nevertheless.

Here’s what I did, even through the inertia of grief. Even though the dark hand of mourning was still pushing me down.

I made up my mind to daily get off the couch and walk. I made up my mind to daily get off the couch and go to the gym.

I started small. I walked only about a half of a mile. I lifted far lighter dumbbells than previously. But I was there, doing it.

As I continued, I have grown stronger. My wind has come back.

I have gradually increased my walking distance and my lifting weight until I was able to lift more and walk further.

And my brain rewarded me with far better brain chemistry. And my blood sugar was under 100!

They say that loss of a spouse is the most stressful of all life events. It sits atop the stress pyramid. Alone at the top.

So it is understandable if the logjam of grief and caregiving pushes us underwater in terms of exercising and moving. Very understandable.

But there comes a point when we have to face our inactivity and resolve to burst the inertia dam blocking our way to movement.

If you fit this category, I want to encourage you to take a deep breath and get off the couch today. Please drop me a line at terryread.blankenship@gmail.com and tell me how you did it.

If I can do it, you can do it.

Get off the couch today!

[Author’s note: I have written a book to help you get off the couch. Find it HERE ]

#Diabetes #Exercise #Grief #Walking #Type2 #LossOfSpouse #Mourning