When Sports and Crohn’s Meet

My history with sports has been quite comical. It consists of approximately...no team or club athletics! However, my student gym-life was a golden time, and I had many friends who worked hard to be athletic.

My talent ranged from tripping over my own shoelaces to somehow avoiding a dodge-ball twice, thrown from the greatest athlete in my grade. 

In High School, my legacy ranged from floundering in the mostly chlorine pool to falling over after the run warm-up. The pool was my worst enemy. It dried out my skin like no other. It did it to many other students, as well, so I felt as part of a crowd in the gym-atorium for once. 

In general, I was not an athletic child. 

Why is this? Well, that would be because I did not pay careful attention to my surroundings. That would also be because I was not at full nutritional potential. It is also because I was sore a lot from that nutritional lacking. 

Sports has never been my best friend, and it may never be. However, I know that is important for me to get the exercise I can. I know it is important for me to try new things as often as I can. I have finally found yoga and dance, and these two forms of movement keep me healthy and happy. They also aren’t always hard on my joints and allow me to relieve any stress-pain that has built up over the day. With the help of my athletic friends, I have been able to design an exercise plan that works for me, and I've learned how to modify it to keep growing strong. I found these links that also describes some great tips for others: https://www.healthline.com/health/crohns-disease/exercise and https://www.everydayhealth.com/crohns-disease/living-with/ways-to-work-out-with-crohns/. 

Sports and I have a comical history together. Exercise and I will have a beautiful future that I, and many of us with Crohn’s, desperately need.