Lee’s bypass surgery was on a Monday; he came home from the hospital that Friday, five days later. That afternoon, he went to the mall.
No joke.
Everyone knows that exercise is one of the most important ways to prevent (or halt) clogged arteries, right? If you’re not in the habit of moving your body regularly, the idea of starting an exercise program can seem a little daunting. It seems like such a big commitment, the recommendations keep changing, you’re not even sure what it is you’re supposed to do–I know. We were total sloths before Lee’s heart attack.
That first step was the hardest–and I mean that literally–that first walk from the bed to the bathroom in his hospital room was painful just to watch. But by Thursday afternoon, he was strolling down the hall, and his first priority after he got home was to get moving. It was as simple as that.
The only glitch was that it was late August in North Carolina, and at that time of year, there’s not a lot of difference between here and, oh, an equatorial jungle. It was HOT and HUMID. I mean, really hot and humid. Heading out the front door for a walk seemed like a bad idea for a guy who’d been on a heart-lung machine just a few days earlier. He cast around for a solution (for all of about 2 minutes), and hit on the idea of the mall–a large, air-conditioned space with benches. Perfect. We dug out his sneakers, and he was good to go.
His mother drove him to the mall, and he walked until he got tired, sat down for a break, then walked back to the car. There wasn’t a lot of dithering or research or soul-searching involved.
If you haven’t been exercising, now is the time to start–even if you got out of the hospital this morning. Here is your assigment: lace up your shoes and find a place to go for a walk. Walk until you start to feel tired. Then stop.
There is a place nearby where you can walk; you just might have to be creative. Obviously, in an ideal world, you’d walk out your door and go for a stroll, but that’s not always possible. The mall is a great option, no matter what your weather challenges. A big parking lot works just fine if it’s nice out, or you could even try and get one-day passes to all the gyms in your area. Or maybe the high school has a basketball court or football field where you could stroll. Try parks–city, county, state, or even national. Try something.
But it’s not optional. Go. And if you think I’m talking to that other guy, I’m not. I’m talking to you.