How Take Steps helped me in lockdown

After struggling at the start of lockdown, our Take Steps challenge gave Chloe a goal to aim for and inspired her to keep active. The challenge for Chloe was to get herself walking every day for a month, which helped her look after her lungs and raise money for a great cause. Now she thinks we should all get involved!

I’d been struggling at the start of lockdown and had to have a community physio visit me for a month from May. I started walking round my garden on a daily basis and although I really struggled, I increased the amount I did each day and soon found that the walking became easier and I could do more.

When I received an email about Take Steps, I thought it would do me good to have a goal to reach and inspire me to keep walking each day. I also was happy to raise money for the BLF as they have helped me so much this year.

Diagnosed with COPD

I was diagnosed with COPD related to an auto immune condition I have called Mixed Connective Tissue Disease at the beginning of the year. Due to Covid it meant that my initial treatment was delayed as it was understandably impossible to see a specialist. It also meant that it was a very confusing and worrying time for me being diagnosed but without the support that I would have normally received.

I relied on information from the BLF. The regular emails from Adam were comforting and interesting. I used the webinars by the health care professionals and also the classes on breathing exercises and general exercise.

Finding motivation

A few things kept me motivated throughout the Take Steps month. I’m quite competitive and once I’d set my goal, I was super determined not only to reach it but to go above it. I loved doing the dress up and fancy-dress walks, it was a pleasure to have an excuse to get the glad rags out and put some make up on.

The BLF’s Community Team is fabulous, and their regular emails and suggestions helped to keep me motivated. I was also motivated by wanting to raise money for the BLF. I’ve found out more about some of the fantastic work that they do over the last few months and they’ve been ever so good to me.

And on a personal note, walking every day is doing me so much good, both physically and mentally! I live on my own and have been quite isolated as I’ve remained in lockdown since March 2020. It was great to feel part of something. My lungs feel much stronger and it’s good to have some structure to the day.

I’ll keep walking, so should you!

I’m still walking round and round my garden each day and I’d happily take part in a walking challenge again for the BLF!

My advice to others with respiratory disease who are thinking about getting involved is to just do it. I have a number of disabilities affecting my joints, bones and organs and an auto immune condition so I stay in my garden to walk and use my phone to watch virtual walks on YouTube.

My joints are moving better, my lungs are working better, I’m in a lot less pain than I was in when I started walking each day. When I started, I could just about manage 5 minutes a day, I was in such pain in my hips and back, but now I can easily manage 5 hours and delighted myself by walking 10k in a day. My hands don’t work well so I can’t hold my phone up for long, so I found this contraption that goes round my neck and holds my phone in front of my face.

We all have difficulties, but you can usually find a way round them and find ways to enjoy your life as fully as possible. It’s also important to keep ourselves as well as possible. I feel fitter and stronger than I did and that must give me more of a fighting chance against viruses and infections.

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