How I get fit done
Pain from endometriosis meant Lisa Mullineaux, 38, had no choice but to put her life on hold. Then she found yoga
There was a time back in my twenties when the mere thought of putting on my trainers to go for a run made me feel anxious – and not for the reason some people dread exercise.
I had a good relationship with movement before I began to experience the debilitating abdominal pain that would come to define much of my young adult life; I walked, went climbing and, when I could motivate myself, did the odd run. But by my early twenties, the pain had become excruciating.
I’d try to go for a run and be doubled over – sometimes on all fours. On one particularly memorable day, I was in so much pain that I passed out in the toilets at work. Exercise – once something to enjoy – became something to fear.
Aged 25, I went to see my GP, but was dismissed with a diagnosis of IBS. It would be another three – painful – years before I’d learn the source of my agony. I was diagnosed with ovarian cysts and endometriosis – acondition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb starts to grow in other places. Abdominal surgery showed that my womb had fused to my colon, and any kind of impact (such as running) would aggravate my symptoms.
In search of a gentler form of movement, I decided to try yoga. It had been such a long time since I’d exercised and I felt so unwell – both physically and mentally – that I really had to force myself to show up at my first class. But I’m so thankful I did. Returning to the same class week after week, I began to learn the value of taking it at my own pace, in a way that felt good, rather than punishing. Before long, I loved my weekly class so much that I started doing more classes online.
