- My daughter was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder.
- By the time she was 6, my daughter couldn’t walk independently.
- She will need my help throughout life, so I’m focused on keeping my body strong to be there for her.
When she was 3, my daughter, JJ, was diagnosed with Rett Syndrome. It’s a developmental, progressive disorder that hits hard and fast. At the age of 6, she has already lost her ability to walk independently, swallow thin liquids, use her hands, and speak.
All day, I lift my daughter from the bed to the wheelchair, from the wheelchair to the car seat, and from the car seat to the jogging stroller. She is 47 pounds and growing, but I am 5 feet 4, weigh 115 pounds, and have a small frame. The numbers are not in my favor.
Normally, I hit the gym six days a week, alternating strength training, running, stationary biking, Pilates, and kickboxing. But once JJ topped 40 pounds, I began to struggle.
An old neck injury flared up, my shoulders ached, and my lower back twinged after working out. I began to lose confidence in my ability to care properly for my daughter.
I found a trainer for caregivers
Because my child will rely on me for the rest of my life, a strong and healthy body is crucial. But what if something happened to it? I had become so paralyzed with fear that I had stopped pushing myself when I worked out. I was unable to keep up with JJ’s increasing size.
Just when I was beginning to despair, I came across a workshop focused on fitness for caregivers. It was run by Kayla Lyman, a mother with a disabled son she must also lift and carry. After discovering a love of rock climbing and fitness, she developed a passion for helping caregivers. Through her business, Helix Fitness for Caregivers, she trains people to strengthen their bodies and prevent injury.
In her workshop, Lyman demonstrated three essential moves for caregivers: lunges, hip hinges, and squats. She explained how important it was to hone these moves in our workouts to create the muscle memory our bodies need when we lift and carry our loved ones.
After the workshop, I decided to do some personal training sessions with her. She began with a thorough body assessment, looking for weaknesses and imbalances that might cause injury. Then we practiced using various gym equipment with an eye toward building strength and challenging my muscles.
After that, she came to my home to see me in action. She watched me lift and carry JJ, corrected my technique, and brainstormed ways to improve the setup in our house.
I can push myself
After Lyman assessed, trained, and advised me, my confidence returned. I now had the training and knowledge to push myself, so I began increasing my weights and mixing up my strength training workouts.
After a few months, I noticed my core strength and stability improved, and my soreness and back twinges disappeared. I was also amazed by the amount of weight I could lift. Carrying JJ no longer felt like a risk but like something I could handle.
At some time in our lives, most of us will act as caregivers to someone — be it a special needs child, disabled spouse, aging parent, or injured family member. We should all be preparing for this eventuality.
Caregivers and their bodies face immense challenges, but there are things you can do to protect yourself. Strengthening your body is one of the best. It’s an investment you won’t regret.
