Summary: Why Our Thoughts Are So Important During Exercise As I discuss the benefits of exercise we must first consider our psychology. It is very important that we are in the proper mindset to exercise, so that we can be effective and not experience failure. Are we being held down because of what other people say about us or to us? Are we allowing them to dictate how we feel about ourselves? There is only one person that determines how we feel about ourselves. That person is you. During exercise we cannot worry about what others have said about us. We must do what we can do, and not worry about the rest. If we are to be successful in our fight against our chronic pain who must understand that having a positive mental attitude is extremely important while we exercise if we have a poor attitude during exercise the pain we experience may be too much for us to deal with. If we can understand that our movement, although painful, is necessary to maintain strength and mobility then our efforts and exercise can be fruitful. Exercise As I Define It Exercise is something that we physically do. It is something that we work at, that we can quantify, that we can record, and track. I define exercise as this; exercise is the act of movement. Exercise is more than just something we do for a defined number of minutes each day. It is how we maintain our strength and our ability. During exercise pain can become extremely great and difficult due to the very act of movement. In many cases the pain may seem unbearable. But we must overcome this and fight back. We must also be giving ourselves the proper nutrition so that our bodies can heal, recover from the exercise, and function better. Exercise is important to maintain our muscle strength and muscle flexibility, our ligaments and tendons mobility, and if we give this up and not use our body then the pain will increase. I have suffered with mobility problems due to the amount of pain I have been in, and it has been very difficult at times to exercise. However, I believe that exercise must be done in spite of the pain. Beginning Exercise in 2004 Exercise can be as small as walking 10 seconds in one direction, turning around, and walking 10 seconds back. The act of movement is what is important. It helps our bodies remember what it can do. It maintains our muscle and our ability. If we give this up the chronic pain can become worse, and these effects can further limit our ability to move. As we become stronger and maintain the strength we have we can better fight back and overcome the chronic pain. There are many times that I have wanted to not move, but understanding that it is important to move I have done so. Failure Does NOT Exist If We Don't Want It To We may feel that we have experienced failure many times as we have fought chronic pain. Failure does not have to be permanent. And if failure is not permanent then it is not failure. As long as we continue to try our momentary failures are just temporary defeats, and we can be successful in our fight against chronic pain. We must understand that we can do this. Take heart in the fact that you can do this. It is very difficult at times, and very painful at times but you can do this. My exercise using Tai Chi I have found for myself that using Tai Chi is the best form of exercise for me, right now. It works with my muscles and joints and tendons and ligaments and everything maintains flexibility and strength. I use Dr. Paul Lamb's training DVD's to help me learn Tai Chi and to exercise. I am currently using the Tai Chi 24 forms DVD to learn and to exercise with. You can find Dr. Lam and his Tai Chi products, his health and wellness information, and more at: http://www.taichiproductions.com/ The information here is very helpful, and I have learned a great deal from Dr. Lam's website. Through all of this, please do not give up! Maintain strength maintain ability, and fight through the pain.
