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It isn’t easy staying fit when you have a chronic illness. Our conditions can be an incubator for excuses. We all have bad days, pain spikes and our disease affects our respiratory system and our joints. My doctors have told me I should NOT go to the gym or take yoga or exercise classes. But I believe it is a mistake to do nothing, just because we can only do a little. Walking is something I can do and I’m committed to making it a habit. I hope you will join me.

Psychologists have noted that a habit for three weeks can become a habit for a lifetime. Habitual actions create new neural pathways in your brain-so in just 21 days, you can rewire your brain for daily walk. So if you’re looking for a way to boost your mood and deflate your steroid spare time, the solution is right at your feet.

When you get moving, everything changes. Our bodies are optimized for walking and it can have a simple yet profound impact on our overall health. Just 30 minutes of walking each day can improve your health by reducing the risk of heart attack, diabetes and stroke. People who do moderate exercise, like walking have reported feeling more energetic, more socially connected and more emotionally balanced. The Journal of Preventative Medicine has reported that depression is expected to be the leading cause of disease worldwide by 2030. Walking increases endorphins, which are natural chemicals similar to morphine that trigger positive physical feelings and reduce your perception of pain.

Walking reduces stress, body fat and blood pressure. Walking improves self-esteem, quality of sleep, strengthens the heart and increases muscle and bone strength. And unlike a stationary bicycle or treadmill, it takes you places. And hey, you might even find money on the street!

My neurologist explained that walking is actually a self-medicating behavior, in that repetitive motions like walking can have the same effect on the brain as medication. Walking can calm the mind, distract from chronic pain and steer it away from intrusive or destructive thoughts. The pattern of one foot following the other allows the brain to always return to the motion.

I use a Striiv pedometer, which I love. It is a step counter, and my goal is to hit 10,000 steps a day. Every time I walk 60 K steps, Striiv makes a donation of a vaccine for the worldwide fight against polio. I wrote a fan letter to the good people at Striiv and they donated a Striiv Smart Pedometer to us! I’d like to share it with one of you lucky winners. The team at FSR will randomly pick a winner from those patients who join the FSR Patient Registry this April, and we will send it to you.

Thanks for reading. Remember, we’re all in this together!

 

karen_duffy-1 Karen “Duff” Lambros is an American model, actress, and author. Diagnosed with neurosarcoidosis in 1995, she has become an outspoken advocate for sarcoidosis patients and those who suffer from chronic pain. Her positive approach to coping with sarcoidosis is highlighted in her autobiography, Model Patient: My Life as an Incurable Wise-Ass. The Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research is proud to have Duff as a board member and the Board Chair to the Patient Ambassador Program.
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