I have always been a water baby, happier under the waves than above and keen to dive deep and explore the bottom of the pool/ocean/lake.
I swam all summer at our cabin on the ocean and then swam the rest of the year in the local pool, eventually working my way up through the levels and becoming a lifeguard.
Then I taught swimming, and still continued to spend most of my days in the water, and followed my mothers footsteps into teaching water fitness.
I swam, and I loved the water, but the water didn’t always love me.
Simple things like dry skin and hair were common problems, but easy to manage. What has been more difficult to deal with is the overuse.
Swimming with broad strokes and controlled hands, moving against the pressure and resistance of the water in aquafit and then eventually using my hands to lift hand weights and demonstrate push ups as I started teaching on land.
By age 19 I was teaching at least 4 fitness classes a week. By age 21 I was working in the industry full time and sometimes teaching up to 4 classes A DAY.
I had my share of sprains and injuries and would find my moments of recovery but there is one issue I am still, and will continue to deal with for the rest of my life.
My hands.
Even now writing this with a laptop, my thumbs stiffen up. Unless they are kept warm and relaxed my hands immediately go into defence mode.
If I hold a pen to paper I can only write a few lines.
And I am only age 40.
My mother has the same issue, caused from the same experience. Over use and too much resistance in the water. Repetitive motion that is causing early arthritis in our hands. Well, not the whole hand, mostly the thumb joint.
And here’s the funny thing, my hands are STRONG. They haul rocks, cut down trees and can still open a jar with the life screwed on tight. They are strong, but they hurt all the time.
And by all the time, I really do mean ALL. THE. TIME. A dull, creeping, burning ache in lower thumb joint. An ache that becomes overwhelming if I write too long, squeeze too long, or if they get too cold.
And I am not alone. 1 in 6 individuals in Canada over age 15 report having arthritis, caused from genetic makeup, injuries and overuse.
But my hands still work, and even though I am preparing for the pain to get worse, by starting treatment now, watching my diet and staying healthy, I am confident I can keep it at bay.
And when I need, I can use Tylenol Arthritis to help manage the pain. With lasting relief up to 8hrs, it is gentle on my stomach and does not affect kidney function the way that other pain medications can.
Listen to your body and starting dealing with problems and issues NOW so that we can maintain our quality of life later. And to help you out this month, enter below to win a $50 Visa GC. Perhaps it can be used to stock the first aid cupboard, or put it towards a massage to deal with your aches and pains! Please note entrants must be a resident of Canada, however those in Quebec are unfortunately unable to enter the contest. Winners may only win on one blog participating within this campaign.