I’m now 5 weeks since my initial vertigo attack and I’m slowly pulling out of it. In the beginning, I spent 2 weeks on the couch, unable to get up without getting very dizzy. Now I’m able to fart around the house, go for long walks, but no running yet.
So my primary goal right now is to Stay Upright.
Having a simple, overreaching goal is one way to pull ourselves through recovery.
Other examples could be: If you’re over stressed, Breathe. If you’re lethargic, Move.
In my case, I’m treating my light headedness and wavering stride as symptoms of a stroke that I need to train my brain to compensate for.
I keep stretching my activities to keep those brain synapses firing.
Recently, I went ocean charter fishing. The rolling deck added additional inputs to my already wavering balance, but I managed to not topple over and could move around better than I imagined.
Paddle board surfing wasn’t my best idea. I could stand and balance on the paddleboard, but catching a wave and staying upright didn’t work! So I still have some work to do.
Right now, focusing on just staying upright takes the pressure off other possible goals, such as running non-stop for 3 miles or cycling for 20 miles.
Those type of goals are out there, but rushing a recovery on some made up target you made for yourself isn’t the best approach.
If you find yourself stuck for some reason, think about a simple, generalized goal start with. You can always make it more specific as your recovery improves!
Let me know what works for you in the comments.
-Herb