I have been on a walking program for about five years. My goal is to walk 10,000 steps a day and I track them with a pedometer. If I do not reach this goal I make up the distance the next day. I record my steps on a calendar and average them at the end of the week. My daily average is 10,000 steps, but an accident changed that.
A month ago, when I was reading a brochure as I walked downstairs, I tripped and fell. The rubber sole of my left shoe caught on the carpet, my body flipped over, and I landed on my back with a thud. Surprisingly, I have no memory of the fall, just the shock of finding myself on the floor. I kept myself still while I took stock of things.
My husband, who is a physician, heard me fall and came to my aid immediately. He checked me over. No fractured hip, thank goodness, and no broken limbs. But my ankle was badly sprained and the bruises -- a greenish-black toe, a streak across the top of my foot, and an ugly ankle bruise - showed the path of my fall. Apparently my foot had turned backwards when I tripped.
Standing was painful, let alone walking, and I limped around the house. The fall brought my walking program to an abrupt stop. In fact, the only way I could walk was to take pain relief medicine and wear a foam ankle bandage. You can wrap an ankle too tightly and that is just what I did. After I developed a rash on my ankle, I was careful about wrapping the bandage firmly, not tightly.
"I'll be back on my walking program soon," I told myself. But I was not back on it soon. Four weeks later I was still taking pain medicine, wearing the bandage, and hobbling about. Though I could tell my ankle was better, I worried about resuming my walking program. Would I be able to walk long distances again?
The day came when I thought could get back on my walking program. However, I want to emphasize that I did it gradually. First, I continued to wear the ankle bandage to prevent my ankle from twisting. Second, I started with 3,000 steps, then 5,000 steps, then 8,000 steps, and finally 10,000. Third, I did not follow the "no pain, no gain" approach. The instant my ankle started to hurt I turned around and went home.
I gained a few pounds because I wasn't walking, but refused to wallow in guilt. Recovering from an injury takes time and I gave this time. The brace is gone now and, though I have occasional twinges of pain, my ankle seems to have healed. On my honor as a former Girl Scout leader, I promise you that I will never read while walking on stairs again. I also promise to keep walking for my health.
Copyright 2006 by Harriet Hodgson
http://www.harriethodgson.com http://healthwriter.blogspot.com
Harriet Hodgson has been a freelance nonfiction writer for 28 years. She is a member of the Association of Health Care Journalists and the Association for Death Education and Counseling. Her 24th book, "Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief," written with Lois Krahn, MD is available from http://www.amazon.com A five-star review of the book is posted on Amazon. Another review is posted on the American Hospice Foundation Website under the "School Corner" heading.
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