If you have been following me for any length of time you know my husband and I hike, a lot. You may have wondered why a painter like me is putting so much about her hikes on her painting blog. Fair. I try to share who I am, the why behind my painting, and for me that means a lot of hiking related posts. It wasn’t always that way.
I have scoliosis. It’s been labeled moderate-severe, and some time in my early 20s started bothering me as I had developed arthritis by age 20. After graduating college I worked full time at a makeup counter where my pain became intolerable. My arms and hands would go numb, I felt fire in my shoulder blades, sometimes I couldn’t stand straighter than 90 degrees. I would regularly take walks with a friend of mine after work around a paved trail and ride my bicycle around, but the pain caused by standing all day was intense.
When I moved with my now husband to the Pacific Northwest just before turning 27, I no longer had to go in to a standing job and could paint from home, moving around as I liked. My husband had started going to a chiropractor and had me going to him as well. That was helping me a lot, but something was missing.
One three day weekend we went for a hike at a place we saw while showing family around, and went back to a different trailhead for a new hike each day as we kept having fun. My next chiropractor visit the doctor was so happy with me he was asking me what I had done differently. I told him about the hiking and he said to keep it up. I started keeping track of my hikes, doing 87 the next year, making a goal with my husband for 150 the following year.. and after doing 157 (reaching the goal and having no social life) we decided 100 hikes per year was a sustainable amount that kept us feeling pretty good and moving around regularly.
Hiking is a self-paced activity where dirt trails are easy on your joints and the movement loosens you up while building strength. This paired with my (now usually monthly) chiropractic visits have me able to function without the pain and numbness I was experiencing. I am still sore and stiff when I wake up, and have some level of stiffness often.. but NOTHING like what I had before. Hiking has been really great medicine for me and it fuels my painting as well with the endless inspiration around me.
I want to encourage you to get outside and move around, often. Take a hike, wade in a river, do yoga. It doesn’t have to be difficult to be effective!