When my husband and I quit their full-time corporate employment in the first half of 2021, we planned to ease into semi-retirement. I’m awful back to writing and editing last part-time, which I did for many years while raising kids, and my husband would work part-time for our family business. We can do this self -employment from anywhere, so we plan trips – a lot. And briefly, that’s what we do.
With our young adult children on his college campus, and little to keep us tied to Colorado’s earth, at the end of the summer of 2021, we set off on a 7-week cross-country RV trip, followed by 12 magical days in French. Polynesia. We embarked on the most amazing extended-family vacation in the Galapagos Islands and then spent 3 weeks checking out Sayulita and San Pancho, Mexico, as potential places to spend even more time during the cold Colorado winters.
Then, our exciting travel spate came to a crashing halt, as I (finally) scheduled ankle ligament reconstruction surgery to take care of longtime pain and gait problems. It was followed by a week of non-weightbearing rest and physical therapy. Then, unfortunately, another problem came to light: The hip pain I thought would dissipate after the stable ankle address was not eliminated. More specialist visits and diagnostic tests have followed as I search for medications that eliminate pain while based strongly here in Colorado.
With another round of twice-weekly physical therapy sessions on the books through mid-summer, not to mention follow-up medical appointments and alternative therapies, I have put an extensive long-term journey on the back burner. This is not the plan!
For decades, my husband and I have been active vacationers. With more time on our hands – and with children out of the house – we’d long dream of weeks on the road or weeks spent in vacation rentals. On the contrary, thanks to these medical issues, we both spend more time on earth – and I spend more time on rest. (Refreezable ice packs are my new friends.)
While I’m free to admit indulging in woe-is-me pity parties involving wine and too many carbs, I’m also figuring out how to best cope with being grounded for a while. For those who have a bad trip – and dream of visiting all 50 states, all continental national parks, and many more international destinations – this is difficult. That said, I truly recognize that if the current state of the world – including the U.S. stock market, sky -high gas prices, and mass shooters that seem endless, plus the pandemics and war going on in Ukraine – the wings are barely cut. . tragedy.
I keep reminding myself that my health problems now only crash in the road. My passport will be waiting for me when I feel more ready for long-haul flights and mile-long walks in places soon. In the meantime, here’s another way I do:
1. Enjoying My Own Backyard
I’m lucky to live 30 minutes from the world-famous ski resorts of Aspen and Snowmass. At the other end of my beautiful valley is Glenwood Springs, home to healing hot spring pools. There is no shortage of good restaurants and entertainment just minutes from my earth. So, I have been supporting the local economy lately by enjoying happy hours then with live music at local bars and restaurants, as well as attending concerts, theater performances, and nonprofit fundraising events.
My husband and I recently were most benefited from a 20-hour local vacation to improve Aspen. In a silent auction a few years ago, I got a winning bid on an overnight stay in St. See the article : Henry Ford can still teach us a thing or two about business. Louis. service. (A glass of champagne at check-in? Don’t mind if I do!)
We dined on sushi at the locals ’favorite Kenichi and had cocktails at the historic J-Bar on the grounds of Hotel Jerome. Then, we woke up in the morning to climb a mountain that definitely pushed my ability now. (Whoo-wee, I was in pain the next day.)
2. Adjusting Expectations
On trips throughout my adult life, I have gone scuba diving through underwater caves in Hawaii, jumped from an airplane in Florida, and scaled mountains on via ferrata in the Canadian Rockies. My husband and I don’t like to be smart on vacation. On the same subject : Retired QB Ryan Fitzpatrick Joins Prime Video’s ‘TNF’ Show. Or, at least, we spend our mornings actively – say, with a long forest walk or snorkeling – and then rest in a beach bed in the afternoon.
When planning getaways, I always look for nearby trailheads and map out sightseeing routes to walk through. Daily exercise is always made into our days away from the earth – if only because I really like trying all the local foods, and staying active helps a healthy balance.
But going forward, I adjust expectations for activity levels. A trip dedicated to hiking seems to be not in my future – which is a pill that is hard to swallow, because I like to go through mountains and sea cliffs. I would never ride the steep and long Inca roads at Machu Picchu, the backpack O Circuit in Torres del Paine, or the trek between cities in the Cinque Terre. But I should be able to take tourist walks in a shorter city without any problems. And who knows? I thought I would learn enough tools to manage my hip condition and allow for more tough adventures. But until then, it appears that beach vacations that involve plenty of time in the water (swimming feels great!) Are key. And that’s okay with me.
3. Accommodating A New Reality
My husband and I have been planning to spend a few weeks in our RV this summer, traveling throughout the Western Pacific. Fortunately, this trip was just sketched out on paper and no campground deposit was put down. We nixed that adventure, partly because sitting for long periods didn’t help for my current situation. This may interest you : Read This Before You Finish Because of Video Games. (Which is certainly a big bummer for people who love to take RV road trips.) Again, I hope I can figure out how to mitigate this pain problem so that long -term RVing isn’t completely off the table. years to come.
In the meantime, later this summer, we are planning a shorter RV adventure on the Colorado border. Since my husband knows the country highways, he doesn’t need front seat navigation assistance – and I can lie in the back bedroom of the RV if I feel my hips seize from sitting too long. Plus, short travel days mean we won’t be motoring for hours between point A and point B. There will be plenty of time to pull over for both of us to stretch properly.
4. Dreaming Of Future Travel
When Scott’s Cheap Flights deal landed in my email inbox a few weeks ago, I jumped on: $ 2,700 first class flight to Bali from New York. It’s a steal, with first class tickets (which include gloriously beautiful lie-down seats for 8-to-14-hour flights) usually going for $ 13,000 or more! We booked a flight for March 2023 (I’d like to think I would feel close to 100 percent at that time!), And I was eager to explore all the things that can be seen, done, and experienced on the island in Indonesia. Unfortunately, the flight price was too good to be true. A few days later, we received an email from Delta, informing us that they would cancel our tickets, canceling the error rate. (They gave us each $ 200 flight credit to our disappointment.)
This experience reminded me of how I like to travel in a book – and it was interesting that I researched destinations and made travel plans. So, in addition to dreaming about the future journey, I actively seek opportunities. I just discovered that travel outfitters, like Backroads, offer electric-bike itineraries! So, maybe I can’t bike for miles on my own through French vineyards, but an Easygoing Champagne & amp; The Alsace Easygoing E-Bike Tour can be your ticket to an upcoming trip!
5. No Longer Taking Good Health For Granted
For the vast majority of my adult life, I have operated from a “good health” standpoint – being able to enjoy rigorous activities while not having to make many compromises when scheduling trips or active entertainment. Now that I’ve whalloped with some limiting (hopefully temporary) circumstances, it’s clear I’ve taken my previous ability to operate at full power for granted.
Having situations that limit my movement reminded me how important it is to travel when you have the time and means – and not to wait for tomorrow because you never know what’s available. The pandemic that is affecting our lives in 2020 certainly confirms that philosophy for me – and now this health issue has strengthened it.
When I find joy on earth each week-in nature, shortened roads, fast-paced water aerobics classes-I look forward to the days of feeling sufficient for a longer journey. But for now, I appreciate a good day when I can dance with my husband or walk my daughter’s dog along our dirt roads. I also fully enjoyed the relaxation that comes with lying on the couch and a good book. After all, all we ever have is the present moment, so I take advantage of what my current reality is. And when I feel closer to 100 percent, I won’t accept that status anymore.
In severe, or advanced, OA: your cartilage has worn away. The space between the bones in your joint is smaller than before. Your joints feel warm and inflamed.
What exercises make arthritis worse?
With osteoarthritis, it’s best to avoid activities that can stress your joints to minimize further joint inflammation and pain …. High-impact activities that can worsen osteoarthritis symptoms in your hips or knees include:
- Run.
- Jump.
- Deep squatting and bending.
- Climb the stairs.
- Walk.
- Standing long.
What activities cause severe rheumatism? Exercise is important for building muscle strength and protecting your joints, but high -impact activities, such as running, can cause joint pain when RA flares or in cases of advanced disease. When joints are inflamed, don’t force yourself to do more than that feels, the Arthritis Foundation recommends.
What exercises should you avoid with arthritis?
For arthritis that affects the joints, running, jogging, jump rope, high impact aerobics or other exercises where both feet are off the ground at the same time should be avoided.
Can you make arthritis worse by exercising?
Even if you thought exercise would hurt your joint pain and stiffness, that’s not a problem. Lack of exercise can actually make your joints even more painful and stiff. That’s because keeping the muscles and surrounding tissues strong is so important to maintaining support for your bones.
Does lifting weights strengthen joints?
Many studies show that weight lifting and strength training help strengthen your joints as well as your muscles and bones. The long -term effects of weight lifting can reduce pain, even if you have arthritis.
Why does weight lifting make arthritis worse? This may sound counterintuitive, but strength training done right will not aggravate joint pain and stiffness of osteoarthritis (OA). In fact, not exercising enough can actually make your joints even more painful and stiff.
Does working out strengthen your joints?
Exercise can help you improve your health and fitness without hurting your joints. With your current treatment program, exercise can: Strengthen the muscles around your joints. Helps you maintain bone strength.
Does weight lifting help joint pain?
Weight lifting relieves joint pain and stiffness. An analysis of research published in the journal Rheumatology suggests that strengthening muscle groups around affected joints improved function and eased pain in people with osteoarthritis.
How can I naturally lubricate my knees?
Ingredients are from salmon, trout, olive oil, nuts, avocado and supplements that are high in the form of omega-3 DHA. Take these combined preservers. Supplements with a combination of glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin can help on two sides: increase lubrication and reduce inflammation (and thus pain).
Which oil is best for knees? Rubbing warm oil (coconut oil, mustard oil, olive oil) on your knee will help in improving proper blood circulation in the veins around the knee.
What home remedy is good for knee grease?
An easy way to add them to your diet is to eat two 3-ounce servings of fatty fish each week. Some of the best sources of omega-3 are trout, salmon, mackerel, herring, tuna, and sardines. One study showed that a compound in olive oil, called oleocanthal, has the same anti -inflammatory effects as ibuprofen.
Can you rebuild cartilage in your knee?
MACI Cartilage Regeneration Option is a surgical procedure that uses cartilage -forming cells from your body to restore damaged cartilage in the knee. This includes a biopsy to harvest chondrocytes (cartilage-forming cells), which are allowed to multiply in the lab, and surgery to implant into the damaged area.
