September Challenge 🚴🏼‍♀️

🦋 If it doesn’t challenge you it doesn’t change you 🦋

Me and my physiotherapist decided that for the month of September we would do a challenge 💪🏼 Why? You may ask… Just because, and because everyone loves a challenge! ✌🏼🥰

So, we agreed that I’d do MOTOmed (MOTOmed- a device similar to normal bicycle, which allows for passive, motor-supported and active movements- see pictures below), I’d cycle on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, while he’d run 100km in total. It quickly turned out that I’d also cycle that distance if I did an hour 4 times a week (just over 6km in an hour long session). Initially I set out to do 30-45 mins in each session, but once I did an hour and I saw that I was able to do it I stuck to it. Just after 2 weeks I noticed that my legs were different, looser, more flexible, it is much easier to bend them- so I also have better control and the pathological muscle tone decreased 💪🏼🥰. To sum up I was doing a challenge that was clearly making improvements to my body but also to my mind 🫶🏽. That was enough of a motivation.

💡 Change pace and resistance to continuously stay active and engaged in the exercise! 💪🏼

So, what are the benefits of regular MOTOmed workout? I asked myself seeing that it was making a difference 🤔. I researched 🤓 and this is what I found:

• Relearning movement patterns
• Improved arm/hand functions and walking
• Reduced spasticity
• Improved strength and endurance
• Positive influence on bowel activity
• Assists coordination
• Conclusion from one study- MOTOmed movement therapy combined with standard rehabilitation improves mobility and activities of daily living in stroke patients.

After years of rehabilitation, meeting and working with so many different physiotherapists I formed an opinion that I’d like to share with you all. I think there’re 3 main qualities a physiotherapist has to have for you to have successful and enjoyable rehabilitation process. Passion, positivity and knowledge. Being passionate about what you do means you put effort because you care and because you want to help. That’s exactly how I feel about Naturopathic Nutrition (which I’m currently studying to become a practitioner). Putting effort and caring about what you’re doing were and still are huge and important to me. Positivity is so so important, it means you see everything in a bright light ☀️🌈, there’s always hope 🍀 (which is key in rehabilitation, in life). I’ve recently heard that “a word can either heal or kill you” and I couldn’t agree more! If you’re dealing with a professional in a white coat 😱 and they say something like “I’m sorry but nothing can be done”, straight away you give up, become depressed, hopeless… BUT you have a choice here! When something bad happens or someone says something negative you can either let it define you, let it destroy you or let it strengthen you. You either stay down or get back up. At the start of my journey I’d easily become upset, depressed, negative, I’d cry so many times! 🥺 more importantly I believed in EVERYTHING I was told, like when my speech therapist told me that “I would never speak again” or my doctor telling my parents when I was an ICU (Intensive Care Unit) patient that “I had 10 days to live and my organs would start failing one by one” yet I’m still here today, able to talk, in fact I rarely shut up! 🤪🤣. The journey taught me resilience, to never lose hope and to always get back up and keep going! Today, I’d just FIRE such person/professional 🤪, I only work with positive people (I can’t afford to have ANY negativity in my life 🤷🏻‍♀️🤗). As a future practitioner I’m sure that my positivity will be a huge part of my success 👩🏻‍⚕️. On my journey to recovery it already is! That leaves me with last but not least- knowledge. There’s absolutely nothing better than working with someone that is knowledgeable, actually that is exactly the meaning of the word “professional”. Having knowledge on a certain subject allows you to be a professional, to help, to see what needs work, to educate, to think outside of a box… nothing annoyed me more than physiotherapists who ONLY worked “by the book”. For me it meant that I couldn’t make the improvements I wanted to. Sticking to the “book” means that there are things that are basically impossible, and that things can ONLY be done in a certain way, because the book says so 🙄. And I’m sorry, but I don’t believe in the so called “impossible”. Someone recently told me that even the word itself says “I’M POSSIBLE” 💪🏼🔥👌🏼. You have to break some rules, take risks, think outside of a box, challenge yourself to keep improving/change. In Naturopathic Nutrition they teach us and always repeat that every patient requires individual approach, we are all different- I’ll always remember that when I start my own clinic 👩🏻‍⚕️🙏🏼.
Working with such person, that also believes in you and encourages you is a blessing. I’m thankful to have that! 🙏🏼 #grateful

🦋 Be an encourager, the world has enough critics already 🦋

🚴🏼‍♀️ My results 🚴🏼‍♀️

Distance Total = 🏆 102km 🏆

🦋 You may see me struggle, but you will NEVER see me quit 🦋

This challenge has shown me how doing MOTOmed therapy regularly can compliment my rehabilitation treatment. Before this challenge my MOTOmed was rarely used, just collecting dust in the corner of my therapy room 🙄. This was just the kick I needed to realise how beneficial it can be. I will definitely continue with it, this challenge was just the start and the benefits I’ve seen serve and will serve as my motivation to keep at it 💪🏼. Shout out to myself for coming up with the idea of this kind of challenge 🙌🏻 and also shout out to my therapist for going along with it 🙌🏻, sweating to support me 😅🔥. Never give up, Stay focused, Stay positive, Stay strong 🫶🏽🤗.

🦋 Being challenged in life is inevitable, being defeated is optional 🦋

P.S. I will be taking a short break from blogging as I have college assignments and end of semester exam coming up 🤓😅. On the bright side (as I’m always trying to look for the positives😉), Nutrition Year 1 is nearly completed, I’m gaining more and more knowledge on a subject that fascinates me AND I’m ready to start Nutrition Year 2! Getting closer and closer to becoming a Naturopathic Nutritionist 🙌🏻👩🏻‍⚕️. I’ll be back in November 🫶🏽✍🏼🤗. For now stay safe and smile ☺️🦋.

The only time when you’re allowed to go low in life is during your squat 😜😉