Will You Tip or Trip?

How many people like cardio? And I mean honestly like cardio. Cardio & I have a complicated relationship. If I decide one day to run then the questions in my mind start? Do I want to run on a treadmill or outside? Do I want to tip over and catch myself with the rails of the treadmill or do I want to trip and face-plant on the sidewalk.

For people with Cerebral Palsy this is a very common dilemma. It’s never a question of if you will have this occurrence but when. I’ve learned to laugh at myself as best as I can (that’s mostly when I tip a little & catch myself on my other foot). But it is still incredibly embarrassing for me. I don’t always know if people see me and are staring at me with concern or because they want to laugh. But let’s break down the difference of a treadmill/stair master decision and the outdoors.

Outdoors is a little bit of an easier route for me. Why? Because I can regulate my speed myself. I definitely have issues with the sidewalk (we are NOT friends) but with YEARS of work, I can make it look like nothing happened to the average onlooker. Unlike most I have to look at the ground more often when walking outdoors to make sure I don’t trip on a crack in the sidewalk or miss a step going upstairs. A couple times in the past I have tried do a workout with the stairs that are the image for this post. It’s not only a tricky workout because of how steep it is but it is tricky to walk up and down. Once my legs get fatigued it is a whole other challenge to continue. It may only be inches between those steps but it is a lot for my legs. Often I push forward and don’t let it affect me. But I’m human and sometimes it does.

Let’s talk the gym. It’s its own separate beast. When I want to work on my cardio, I gravitate towards the stair master or treadmill. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the bike machine or elliptical but they are just not my favorites. Stair master for me is tricky because of the distance to lift your foot between steps. It may not seem like much to the average person but the amount of times I have hit my toes on the crease before the step (you know where it bends to create the next step) are ridiculous! But I’ve figured out that for myself, I’ve learned to keep the difficulty low so I can time it correctly, even though it may annoy me mentally how slow it is. I still trip and I still tip and catch myself on the handle bars but I’ve found a system.

Now comes the treadmill. This is not my favorite cardio machine (then again none of them are). I used to try running and hit workouts on the treadmill. And for a time I would convince myself I loved it, regardless of the fact I would fall or trip 90% of the time doing these workouts. I wish I was a runner- but alas I am not. The universe decided otherwise for me. I learned that walking was the best decision for me here. But I didn’t want to do a simple walk or brisk walk.

If you have ever heard of social media influencer Lauren Giraldo (@laurengiraldo) her creation has helped me use the treadmill in a better way and still get a great workout. She created something known as 12-3-30. This invention taught me to put the treadmill on a 12 incline, at a 3 speed, for 30 minutes. 12-3-30. This was difficult at first because of the incline but as I’ve done it more and more I fall less and less. AND I get a great workout! No tripping or tipping? And a great workout? Yes Please!

I’m still learning all my workout and fitness preferences but so far these are the few I have found. Keep up with me as I discover more and more!