The phrase “use it or lose it” never applied to me, not until earlier this month.

In October I took a hike on the lookout trail at Camden State Park. It was a hot day, but I never expected to get so tired from a half hour hike.

The story didn’t end after I got home and rested. Instead I had pain the next day in my lower back on the left side.

I was concerned that it might be my left hip. My right hip was replaced in 2021, which went well but which is something I didn’t want to repeat after only two years.

I saw my doctor after the pain didn’t subside. I was told based on how I described the pain that it was not the hip itself. Instead it was something called the S.I. joint. It was treatable with physical therapy.

I’ve had three out of five scheduled sessions so far and it seems to be helping. I can get out of a chair again without any pain. It doesn’t hurt to walk.

I asked my physical therapist how much I should be exercising. I was told not to overdo it, but that I should definitely do some walking and keep up with my stretch exercises. She used the phrase “use it or lose it.”

Until I heard it in reference to myself, I thought “use it or lose it” only applied to elderly people. It’s something I’ve heard when I’ve been advised to encourage my mother to take walks.

Now it’s part of my vocabulary. Things have changed. I’m not young anymore. I’m getting older and starting to deal with the health questions that face older people.

I never used to worry about exercise. I never planned for it but always had plenty. I rollerbladed and took long bike rides in the summer. I played golf, always walking with a pull cart. I went cross country skiing in the winter.

Those pastimes have fallen by the wayside in recent years. It’s partly because of my hip replacement, and partly because of peripheral neuropathy in my feet that causes balance issues.

I’ve thought about getting my skis out this winter. I’ll have to be careful about icy snow, but if we get a nice powdery snowfall it should work out fine. I have a perfectly good place to ski at a schoolyard a block from my house.

I know I’ll have to do more than just one or two ski excursions. There’s now a need to make an effort to walk and to stretch.

I’ll lose my physical health if I don’t do it. I don’t get enough exercise just from my normal daily routine. Exercise needs to become part of the routine.

I’ve started to find out that it feels good to exercise. It helps my energy level. It makes me enthused about the rest of my day.

I’ve read about the risks of obesity, which somewhat applies to me since I have a few extra pounds but am not obese. It’s something that can happen when a person is mostly inactive, when we spend a lot of time sitting down.

Many people in the 21st century work desk jobs. They use a computer constantly. They don’t get many opportunities to move around.

It’s important for people at any age to be active. It keeps young people from having health problems at an early age. Any amount of physical activity is good.

We need more promotional campaigns, something like the 1970s Mr. Peanut guide to physical fitness. I remember enjoying the track events that measured my fitness level.

We’re fortunate to have outstanding health care services in Marshall. We also have the Marshall Area YMCA, which does an outstanding job of promoting fitness at the local level.

It’s easier said than done. I’ll have to put into practice what I’ve preached in my column. It’s more than just a week or a month or until the latest pain goes away. It needs to be a lifelong process.

— Jim Muchlinski is a longtime reporter and contributor to the Marshall Independent