A Little Word on Exercise Advice

I am always on the look out for good advice, especially when it concerns health and/or creativity.  I’m not looking for a magic pill to make me thin or the secret to motivation (okay, maybe a little on the last one), I am simply trying to find ideas that others have tried – I don’t want to miss out on something that will make me feel better because I didn’t know about it.

The problem is there is one piece of advice I come across over and over and over: exercise more.  Now, I’m not disagreeing that exercise is very good for your health and creativity, but every time I read those words I feel a knife in my gut. 

To begin with I feel angry.  I mean, I know I need to exercise, I want to exercise, but I physically can’t.  I can’t even stand up long enough to have a shower or wash up so how do you expect me to go for a walk to clear my head?  It may be easy for you, but not everyone is lucky enough to have that option. 

I then feel guilty.  I know that when that advice is spouted out it’s not to make me feel worse about myself.  I know that the chances are, the person on the other end of the words really is trying to help.  So I feel guilty, first for getting angry at them, and then for not being able to follow their advice.

It’s a never-ending circle of anger and guilt, even though I know it’s completely unreasonable to feel either of these.  I have to constantly remind myself that for many people, exercise is a viable option.  And I also have to remember that it’s not my fault that I can’t follow their advice.  But sometimes I just wish that someone would acknowledge those of us who don’t have good health through no fault of our own, even if they don’t have any other ideas, being acknowledged would make my day.

So for all of you like me, you are not to blame for whatever has happened that makes it impossible to lead a ‘normal’ life.  I understand your anger towards those who don’t understand (like I said, I often feel it myself) but honestly, realising that words spoken aren’t usually there to hurt you, uses a lot less energy than anger.  And after all, we want to keep that tiny bit that remains so we can make some semblance of continuance in this journey called life.

Have you ever felt angry at advice not intended for you?  Do you have any advice for me, something that perhaps made your life a tiny bit better?