When it comes to self-care, sometimes it’s do as I say, not as I do.
My answer to just about everything—joy, sadness, anticipation, annoyance, stress, anxiety, boredom, overload, indecision, restlessness, contentment, etc. etc.—is to take a walk.
For the most part, this works out pretty well for me, just like it does for my fictional characters in Bonus Time and The Wildwater Walking Club series. Most mornings I see a gorgeous sunrise, listen to the crash of the waves, breathe in ocean air. I hear the birds chirp, catch first and final blooms, and watch the seasons change up close and personal.
I walk with friends. I walk alone, making new friends or writing in my head. I get my 10,000 steps in every day, and as soon as I do, I usually take off my Apple watch or step counter, so that I don’t get obsessed with racking up more and more steps. Because I know more isn’t always better.
At least I thought I knew.
And then I messed up my knee. For real-real. I ignored the pain, which is how I usually deal with these things. And because endorphins, those opiate-like chemicals that are released through exercise, diminish your perception of pain and actually act like sedatives, I just kept walking.
And walking.
As an author, I spend so much time sitting at the computer that when someone invites me to do just about anything that involves sitting, I usually try to nudge them into going for a walk together instead. So, I was not only doing my own walking, but also a fair amount of socializing walking. I also lift weights to hang on to my muscle mass, and also stretch for flexibility, but mostly there’s a whole lot of walking going on.
And then one day I made the mistake of adding some extreme spring cleaning to the mix. (That’ll teach me to clean my house!) There was way too much twisting and lateral movement involved, but I was on a roll, so after that I segued into some serious spring gardening.
By the middle of that night, I knew I was in trouble. My knee was so swollen that even the endorphins bailed and I couldn’t ignore the pain any longer.
I’ll spare you the details, but through the magic of rest (what a concept!), I’m getting better. This great knee ice pack is helping, too, as is this awesome infrared heating pad—how did I not know about these? I dusted off this exercise bike and use it with the tension set to zero to lubricate my knee joints without causing pain. I’ve also taken a deep dive into YouTube videos by physical therapists like El Paso Manual Physical Therapist, where I learned how important it is to strengthen your glutes to prevent knee pain.
Anyway, I’m finally getting to the point where I know my knee will let me start walking my 10,000 steps a day again soon. I’m thinking by tomorrow or the next day, but my knee is saying more like a week or two. It was such a good wakeup call for me that I’m sharing the story just in case it’s helpful to you.
I don’t really think that much about getting older. I agree with the Bonus Time characters that wrinkles are a roadmap to a life well lived. And I truly believe getting older is a privilege that we’re so, so lucky to have. But aging is more than deciding whether you’re going to take the anti-aging, look-as-young-as-you-can-for-as-long-as-you-can route, or the pro-aging, just embrace the changes, let your silver flag fly and roll-with-it road.
Health is wealth is more than a cliché. It’s so, so true. Wherever we find ourselves right now on the 40-to-forever continuum, we need those bodies of ours. We have to treat them with respect if they’re going to continue to take us where we want to go in life. With grace and style and pep in our step. Because we’re not done yet. As Robert Frost said, we’ve got miles to go before we sleep.
So yeah, use it or lose it.
This time around, I’m really going to try to follow my own advice!
Claire Cook wrote her first book in her minivan when she was 45. At 50, she walked the red carpet at the Hollywood premiere of the romantic comedy movie adaption of Must Love Dogs. She’s now now the New York Times, USA Today and international bestselling author of 23 books. Her books have been translated into 14 languages. She says: “Take it from me, if you have a buried dream, it’s never too late!”