Wiping the sweat from my brow, I paused
to turn up the song on the radio. I took a healthy swig of water,
and continued my routine. Having severe hemophilia with a target
elbow joint is not very conducive to rigorous exercise programs.
I learned this the hard way as a young teen when I began (against
my doctors orders) to use my fathers set of free weights in
the basement of my old home. In less than a week, I was suffering
from a very bad elbow bleed. This left a rather bad taste in
my mouth as far as working out is concerned. This bitter taste
remained with me through high school. I loathed gym class and
sat on the sidelines as much as possible. Though I was often
jealous when seeing friends playing football, sinking hoops,
or heading to the gym together, the threat of bleeding kept
me from actively pursuing a healthier lifestyle.
As I reached early adulthood, my bleeding
episodes were becoming less frequent. Almost all of my friends
had gym memberships and I found myself really wanting to join
in. I spoke to my hematologist and physical therapists about
beginning an exercise program. I was informed to take things
slow, make sure to always warm up and cool down, and concentrate
on more repetitions and less weight. It was also suggested to
stay away from free weights, and to concentrate more on using
machines that give you guided resistance in order to reduce
the chance of injury. I was excited, confident and ready to
begin.
Having just completed my first month
of exercising everyday, I feel great. Unlike my first venture
into the world of fitness and exercise, by following the words
of my doctors, I have yet to have a bleeding episode due to
my fitness regimen. I do exercises that are comfortable for
me, and I have been very watchful not to push myself too hard.
The benefits are already apparent. I
have more energy, I sleep better at night, and I am developing
a new-found confidence in myself and the control I have over
my bleeding disorder. My doctors tell me that as I continue
to exercise, chances for random spontaneous bleeding will become
even less! For years, I avoided any such activities and lacked
the confidence in myself and my body to tackle any kind of work
out. Now I regret that I had not started exercising properly
sooner.
Take it from the kid who sat,
just about everyday, against the bleachers in gym class: If
you listen to the precautions of your medical team at the treatment
center and work with trainers in the gym, you CAN do it. Though
life with a bleeding disorder predisposes us to unique challenges,
overcoming them only makes the taste of victory sweeter.
