As I sit here thinking on the past year, I’m forced to question certain things I see. Certain traits, behaviours and notions.
This last year, where I have had so many different challenges, both physical and mental it has led me to look at us, neighbors, friends, clients , people in general and say ” do they do enough? Is it challenging them?”
“Are they helping themselves to improve their own health and physicality on a regular basis?”
On May 21st 2012 I was told I had Hodgkins lymphoma and would need immediate chemotherapy.
I had noticed physical limitations that my body had, not forced upon me, but, been forced to force on me by my cancer.
Lack of energy, limited breath, changeable temperature, no energy, itching, God the itching!!
These symptoms were a sign of my body reacting to cancer.
A year on, those symptoms have all gone. I’m in the last stages of treatment. But all I yearn for is to be able to physically challenge myself.
To run till I need to stop.
To lift until I can’t finish the rep.
To work my core till a crunch or extension is not possible.
To take part in an event with friends where the chat and camaraderie is what gets you over the line.
Challenge.
I know we all have different things in our life that challenge us. Physical and medical. Mental and emotional.
But if you are fit and well bodily. No medical issues to speak of. Possibly a bit overweight. What do you do to get the pulse racing?
Now I’m not saying go and run a marathon.
If you do nothing, then running a mile is a real challenge!
I’m saying how do you challenge your physicality? How do you look after it? Improve it? Feed it. Build it.
Challenge it.
Is it pull ups? Can you do them.
Is it as simple as core strength? Weight loss? Are you overweight? Could you lose a few pounds? Can you?
Is it walking ten miles?
Cycling round the Isle of Wight?
Don’t sit on your laurels.
Work it. Move it. Challenge it because when you can’t, boy, you miss it.
You truly miss it.