If you’re an active person like me, getting diagnosed with a vestibular disorder can make walking difficult, let alone hitting the gym. For the first 6 months of my newly diagnosed condition, I was unable to do much in terms of working out.

Running has always been my therapy, and I could hardly make it .25 miles before wanting to fall over. If I wasn’t running, I was taking boot camp classes at my gym, and all of a sudden, lifting weights was out of the question. I gained 10lbs which only made the sadness I was feeling about my condition worse. Was this my new life?

However, it was when I went to vestibular rehab that I realized the importance of retraining my brain to find balance – that remaining sedentary wasn’t helping me get any better and that we must do different exercises to increase our tolerance to movement.

It was then that I realized if I ever wanted to be active again, I needed to push through my workouts and deal with the dizziness that followed. I held onto the idea that if I could increase my tolerance to uncomfortable movement, balance would be waiting for me.

This fall will be 3 years since I first came down with chronic vestibular migraine (VM), and I’m happy to report that I am active “most days.” I listen to my body and if I’m not having an attack, you can find me burning some extra calories doing the following activities…

Running

Ever since I graduated from college, I have been super into running. I’ve run several 5K and 10K races here in Dallas and completed the Disney Princess Half Marathon in Orlando. That said, you can imagine how devastated I was when my balance felt like it was swept from underneath me.

It’s taken a few years, but I’m finally able to run longer distances again without feeling too dizzy. However, it’s been a marathon, not a sprint. (See what I did there?)

I had to set specific goals to get where I’m at today in terms of mileage. At first, I would push myself in .25 mile increments just to see how I felt after the run. If it was too hard on my body, I would only run that mileage until I could finish without feeling too dizzy and so on.

Today, I can run 4 miles and am working on training for my first 10K since my diagnosis.

TIP: I wear a running hat and polarized sunglasses to protect my eyes from the sunlight which could trigger an attack. I’m extremely light sensitive with my VM, so it’s SUPER important that I shield myself from the light.

Also, drink LOTS of water. Dehydration is just asking for you to have a migraine attack.

Online Barre Classes

Before getting sick, when I wasn’t running, I was at the gym doing boot camp and body pump classes. I love the group fitness environment because it always motivates me.

However, after I was diagnosed with VM, I was terrified to do any quick HIIT type of workout because I didn’t want to fall down. The thought of doing burpees or jump squats in a large crowd is still a lot for me, and I think it will take time for me to get there. Since then, though, I’ve found an amazing solution.

One of my clients (The Ballet Physique) I do marketing for is a ballet-inspired barre studio out of Littleton, Colorado, and they just recently launched their online “Streaming Studio.” I started doing the workouts at home, and, man, is it giving me the next level of fitness I’ve needed but in the comfort of my own home.

I’m not afraid of falling down, looking stupid or taking breaks because I can simply hit pause. The other great thing is that a lot of the workouts are very similar to what I was doing before at my gym. Not to mention, because of the dance element, these workouts have helped me gain balance in different ways I am not getting from running. Oh, and I’m SO sore after doing them.

Sure, some workouts are probably too much movement for me currently, but I love having the flexibility of choosing what I can do from my home office. Plus, because you can do these online classes anywhere, you really never have an excuse.

If you want to try a 14-day FREE trial, use the code: TRUEKAYLA

Yoga

I enjoyed yoga before I was diagnosed but afterward was terrified to do anything that didn’t have me sitting upright. I was already dizzy, so why make it worse? It wasn’t until my neurologist, Dr. Beh at UTSW in Dallas, TX, told me that I needed to do exercises that I loved previously because it actually helps you re-train your brain.

He suggested I try yoga because of the benefits it has for migraine. You see, poses like downward facing dog brings blood flow into your brain that can actually alleviate a migraine attack.

I’m so proud of myself that I can keep up with the class now regarding poses and the flow. However, if I get dizzy, it’s perfectly okay. I know my limits, and if I need to rest or sit down in child’s pose for a moment, I can. Yoga is such an inviting community, and they strongly advise that you listen to your body.

___

I hope this post inspires you to get out today and be active. A diagnosis like VM can make you want to stay in your house forever in order to avoid making your dizziness worse. Believe me, I get it. It can cause anxiety and depression which all, in turn, decrease your overall stamina.

However, let this post be a reminder that by just taking a walk around the block is a win. And maybe the next day you walk two blocks and so on. If I am able to re-incorporate fitness into my lifestyle, I believe you can, too!