Last updated on November 26, 2023
Staying healthy seems to be dangerous. Many of my physical injuries have been the result of walking, cycling, and other forms of exercise.
December 6, I managed to sprain my MCL (medial collateral ligament) while at the gym using a standard rowing machine. Yes, a rowing machine. For the unfamiliar, you slide forward and back, bending your knees, while pulling a chain attached to a wind-resistance wheel. I was 16 minutes into the routine when my left knee suddenly hurt.
I whimpered and cried and was sick throughout the night, leading to a Saturday visit to the after-hours clinic. Following x-rays, I was prescribed painkillers, given a knee brace, and referred to a sports medicine expert. Monday, I learned that I had a minor “Grade 1” sprain, and the pain was caused by the combination of sprain and bone spurs.
Over the years, I’ve had hernias, breaks, cracks, and bruises from my workouts.
The problem is, I have to exercise or I could have even more problems.
When I was young, I needed physical therapy. I have scoliosis, a brachial-plexus injury, previously fractured bones, and other problems that require maintaining good muscle tone.
Since the middle of October, I’ve also tracked my blood glucose level. If I don’t watch my diet and exercise, the glucose reading can exceed 200 mg/dL — not good at all. When I exercise for 30 minutes or more, I can lower the glucose reading to 115 mg/dL or better. This matters a lot to me, as I want to remain a diet-controlled diabetic.
My personality traits include anxiety, obsession, and hypochondria. I worry constantly about my health, especially since becoming a parent. I want to watch our daughters graduate high school, attend college, and start their careers. I want to be around for them well into their adulthoods. They already know I’m hyper-vigilant about my health.
Is any of this related to autism? I doubt it, but statistics suggest autistics have shorter lifespans for a variety of reasons. I want to beat those statistics.
I do believe how I approach exercise and fitness complements my autistic traits. I like having a FitBit and using MyFitnessPal to track calories and nutrition. I like having apps for my exercise routine, complete with a checklist for what I did at the gym.
When my FitBit failed, and my Garmin before that, I felt out of sorts. Yes, iPhones track steps, but that isn’t the same. Plus, I don’t like carrying my phone constantly.
When I ride my exercise bike, I ride to an even distance. I rise five, six, or seven miles per session. Not 4.5 or 6.25 miles. No, I have to ride as close to a round mile as possible. I also try to pace my time on the bike or on the gym treadmill to be a multiple of five minutes. Maybe that’s the autistic me, but if I end up a 5.25 miles or 6.75 miles at 25 or 30 minutes, I will ride until I get as close as I can to that round mile and multiple of five minutes combination.
I miss eating the food I love and I hate struggling with my weight more than I already did. A low-carb diet? I cannot seem to get my weight down to 170-173 pounds, where I want to be. Exercise is my own hope with the diabetic diet.
With a knee brace and still hurting, I’m carefully maintaining a gym routine. I met with a trainer twice and I’m following the advice of doctors.
Unlike many people I know, I do not like the gym. I don’t enjoy machine-based exercises. But, I care about my family and that means I care about my health.