A Cautionary Tale

I have been doing my stretch exercise for about a week now and while there are improvements there are also some things I should warn you about:

1. Do not attempt this until you have been on a clean, anti-inflammatory regimen. As you know, it doesn't take much to cause a flare up. After you have been on this diet for a while, the amount of time you have between physical activity and the dreaded flare begins to lengthen. This gives you a better shot at being able to get a little exercise in without ruining your day or days (whatever the case may be for you).

2. Take it super-duper easy! Just because the Barbie doll directing your stretch video can bend it like beckham doesn't mean we can! Be very soft and fluid with your movements. Be sure that you are doing the stretches exactly as they should be done posture wise, but not necessarily as deep as the instructor is doing them. This will ensure that you are keeping everything aligned and supported, which equates to less irritation to your lil cyst monster.

3. Know your body and know your cyst. I have spent a lot of time getting to know my cyst and what it likes and doesn't like. This gives me the ability to gauge what I can and cannot do. The minute you feel that tinge (not the usual tinge from stretching after no movement forever) that indicates your cyst is being rubbed the wrong way, stop what you are doing and go into an easier stretch or call it a day and try again tomorrow.

4. Exercise for your health not for your bikini season. When I use to exercise it was all about how good my ass was going to look on the beach and so I would push myself to the extreme. Now my ass in a bikini is the furthest thing from my mind. This actually makes it more enjoyable to exercise because it is slow, calculated movements that will strengthen your body over time. This is not a race, it's your new life.

5. Don't overdue it! If you are only able to stretch for 5 minutes, 3 x a day then so be it! That is a start and a really good one considering it can be hard to even walk for some Tarlovians (it use to be for me). The other benefit from moving a little is that it increases endorphins in your body and so your mental state will improve. This is something that anyone who suffers form anything could use help with. I read in another blog once that this lady was trying to keep from throwing herself off a bridge. Another lady responded that we Tarlovians are ALL trying to keep from throwing ourselves off a bridge. I don't know why, but I find comfort in that.

The benefits of being able to add in a little movement are abundant. The most important are that it will get your lymph system moving. This is imperative as it is responsible for sludging off your toxins and that is what this whole thing is about; cleaning your system. The cleaner and stronger your system is the less distracted it is from other issues going inside you. This means it can put most of its attention on taking care of your cyst.