Day 13 of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month - Exercise to Help with Stress with Hubby Bill

We are on location in Crofton, Maryland, on the Crofton Parkway, where Bill and I typically walk 4 miles a day when we can. We've been active for most of our lives, and that changed somewhat when Ryan was hospitalized, but we still tried to incorporate some form of exercise - even if it was just using the stairs instead of the elevator in the hospital. It wasn't easy to add it to any of our packed days, but a short walk counted while walking the hallways, in our home, and around the block. And, frankly, those walks and many runs were more for our brains and stress than our bodies.

Bill and I make it a mission to do some type of activity most days. We are not pounding the pavement running a bunch of miles, but we love our fast-paced walks.

Movement doesn’t have to be fancy or long to make a difference during something as overwhelming as childhood cancer. A few minutes here, a short walk there, or even taking the stairs instead of the elevator as we did for years, can give your mind and body a much-needed reset. A reset. That was it. Bill liked to go down to the first floor and buy coffee from the vending machines (no judgment - Ha!).

But it was the exercise that became one of our lifelines, a way to breathe a little easier and clear the fog for a moment or two, so we could keep going and tackle a tough hour or day. If you’re walking this journey too, I encourage you to find your version of movement; whatever and wherever that feels doable for you today.

Movement is medicine, like laughter, for the body, mind, and soul. 🚶‍♀️🚶🏽‍♂️☀️

Terri