During the first few years after my husband’s sudden death,
I pushed myself to keep going. In the process, I eventually burned out and
slipped deeper into grief. With the stress of a new job and trying to keep up
with the daily responsibilities of home ownership, I had little energy left at
the end of the day to even go for a walk.
Eating alone with “Friend’s” reruns to keep me company, I
mindlessly consumed frozen dinners, microwave popcorn and low fat ice cream out
of the container. Along with high fat meals at local restaurants and on
business travel trips the pounds piled on quickly. Add in prescriptions of
antidepressant pills that were much needed to keep my mood afloat, I hit my
highest weight ever.
Exercise had always been part of my life. As a kid when I
lived in Minneapolis, Minnesota, walking provided daily exercise to and from
school and to the park for dance lessons. In the winter I spent hours
ice-skating on the outdoor rink twirling and gliding as I listened to Ricky
Nelson’s voice on my transistor radio. I took modern dance in college and after
I got married in 1972, my husband and I rode ten speed bikes, canoed, hiked and
even tried running (well, we ran to the local grocery store to get potato
chips). I even signed up for aerobic dance classes and took up inline skating.
Getting back into a healthy life style took time, energy and
some soul searching. Eventually I connected with a wonderful woman doctor at
our local clinic. During my initial visit we hit it off like a team that had
been on the playing field for years. She understood the toll grief could take on a body, and she really cared about me as a person. With my doctor’s help I
began a healthy eating plan that triggered my recommitment to daily exercise.
I’m not a marathon or triathlon competitor by any means, but
I walk-run two to three miles daily. When I travel I keep up my exercise by
walking along the beach, touring towns on foot and swimming. Even in the
Minnesota winters with a pair of ice grip chains hooked to my tennis shoes I
bundle up and head out into the fresh, crisp air.
If you’re struggling with the spinning circle of grief,
taking time to rediscover some of your past passions, activities and
interests can provide the spark you need to get started in a positive new
direction!
Read about my rocky path of coming back from a devastating loss in my memoir, Twenty-Eight Snow Angels A Widow's Story of Love, Loss and Renewal Available in paperback and ebook at http://outskirtspress.com/snowangels Blog comments greatly appreciated!
