Great or Small

There is a familiar saying which once seemed trite but now means the world to us.  A saying that was easy to discount in our younger, pre-sickie days but which becomes more and more valid as disease progression marches on over time.
A saying we owe it to ourselves to continue saying.

"Every little bit counts."

Every time we take our meds; every day we apply suscreen; every cup of water we drink; every nutritional directive we stick to makes a difference.  Every precaution and every treatment counts.  Everything we do to help ourselves life a longer, fully, happier life counts.

And, much as we may not always like to be reminded (and I'm the worst offender here), the same goes for physical activity.  Every little bit of movement counts.  Looser joints, leaner mass, stronger muscles, and healthier hearts & lungs are ours for the taking, at some level.

If anyone understands the limitations here, it's this group.  We know what it's like to be too exhausted to stand let alone move around.  Personally, I have so many problems with my shoulders and hands that upper body strength training feels quite daunting.  Somewhere in our heart of hearts, we know there are days where the best thing we can do for our bodies is to do nothing at all.  But these same hearts also house the knowledge that this makes it that much more important for us to do what we can on other days.

Blogger, tweeter, presenter, artist, and smokin' health activist Jenna Visscher (The Feeding Edge) would like us to live out this adage, to spread awareness of the benefits of even the most moderate exercise as well as of the chronic invisible illnesses Ankylosing Spondylitis.

To this end, Jenna has launched a prolific and amazingly easy campaign: Walk Your A.S. Off!

What does it cost?  NOTHING!
Are there any risks?  NO!!
When will I have to change my schedule to participate?  NEVER!!!
Where do I have to travel to participate?  NOWHERE!!!!
What do I stand to gain?  EVERYTHING!!!!!

How easy is this:

• Walk.  Anywhere.  Anytime.  For any duration or distance.  As often as you please.  On your own schedule.  All by yourself or with anyone you like.
• Count your steps (pedometers are easily available by mail order or at many stores near you, sometimes for less than $5 each).
• Record your steps each day starting on March 1 (that's tomorrow!) 

Make your own team, join an existing one, or stand (and walk) on your own two feet.  Every step counts, including all the ones you usually don't consider (walking to your car, through a store, or to get lunch, for example).  Walk less on your tough days and more on your good ones.  Every little bit counts.

Read more about how Jenna got this idea, what the goals are, and FAQ topics on Jenna's site.  Join (or start) a team on Facebook.  Consider how simple it would be to support people living with A.S. by tracking what you do on a normal day or to help yourself.  

Come on, people, this one's a no-brainer.  YOUR every little bit helps, maybe now more than ever.