My new workout plan is reminding me to take ‘messy action’

My husband, Justin, works in fitness. Six months ago he opened a small-group personal training gym in our little Wisconsin town, and he’s been working to grow his membership, which now includes me.

Something Justin talks about often with clients — while he’s discussing training, nutrition, or other lifestyle topics — is taking action. Specifically, messy action. Action with no guarantee of success. Action that’s taken because we know it’s correct even if we don’t know what we’re doing.

My training sessions are messy action in so many ways.

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There’s no strength-training manual for someone like me, with myasthenia gravis (MG). The variables of this dynamic disease, never mind those from patient to patient, make it hard to plan for this illness in any setting. But I’ve learned, and am learning anew, to take action anyway.

Justin and I operate from what we know in designing my workout plans to account for my MG. They aim to encourage progress without exacerbating my MG symptoms. That’s the hope, anyway. We’ve taken the same approach with my nutrition, and it’s helped me shed 40 pounds so far, even with my movement limitations.

Sometimes we go too far, and I have to spend extra time recovering. That usually includes time on my BiPAP, extra medicine, or just plain old rest. Other times, though, we hit the nail on the head. Regardless of the outcome, we review and adjust for the next workout.

Professional ‘messy action’

I see parallels between how I take action in the gym and how I take actions in my career. I’ve failed a lot since my symptoms started, but I’ve also succeeded in ways others never thought I would. I seek ways to continue progressing in my life despite my MG — sometimes to Justin’s frustration.

The print shop I bought years ago and failed to maintain after my first MG crisis laid the foundation for my new co-working space, The Nook, which also has a DIY print area. I moved my love of art from a physical venture (my pottery dream) to web design and disability audits, so I can be creative while bridging the gaps between the able-bodied and those who require assistance. Not everything I try is successful, but every experience provides information and lessons that I can use to create something better.

I take messy action.

Make no mistake, some actions might need to be discussed beforehand with your medical team. And such actions can be scary. When you live with a rare disease that can change day to day, fear is often elevated tenfold. But I have a feeling that everyone wants to live. We all want to make as many memories with those we love as we can, and leave as big a positive impact on them as our bodies, broken or otherwise, will allow.

And that can only happen by venturing into the unknown.

I know some of you reading this column are thinking you can’t, but you can, because you already are. MG is the definition of the unknown, and many actions you take are messy by requirement. You’re already doing the thing that scares you the most by taking action in the face of uncertain outcomes.

I’m not telling anyone to open a business or begin a workout regimen. But start that podcast. Write that book. Set those physical goals. Life is already messy. Might as well take actions that could at least make you happy.

Note: Myasthenia Gravis News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Myasthenia Gravis News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to myasthenia gravis.