I try to keep myself mentally and physically fit, which isn’t easy when I only have one arm that will put some effort into working for me and it’s my non-dominant one. On a positive note, I can offer you a cheery wave! In all honesty, some days it is really hard but it’s important to persevere, especially in the current climate. Mental health is as important as physical and not only do I need to keep my body moving, I need to keep my mind moving too.

To stay physically fit, I have a range of equipment and the help of the amazing Super Sarah. Nike used to have a slogan that stated ‘if you have a body, you are an athlete’ and I try to keep this in mind. I have a static hand bike and I use this with my right arm and can usually knock out 5K about 15-20 minutes. This is my cardio exercise and gets the heart pumping but the benefit extends way beyond this. When my mood is low, this sort of quick paced exercise is quite often the pick me up I need. I do a lot of virtual challenges to encourage myself to keep churning out the kilometres, my medal rack is seriously full and I’m really quite proud of this!

Having lost the use of my dominant arm (my left arm) is a real problem but my right arm stepped up and has taken over the role of writing (though very slowly), drawing, feeding, drinking… it was a real learning process and took some time but with the patience and some flying food, we learned to get along. One of the big technological changes that allowed me to reverse some of the damage to my left arm was the purchase of an Apple watch. This was a big expense but honestly, it was totally worth it for what I have gained back. One of the features on the Apple watch is that you can set it up to show that you are in a wheelchair. Instead of an hourly step target, it is an hourly roll target. Of course, this assumes that you are in a manual wheelchair and I use a powerchair but I decided to roll with it (see what I did there?). Every hour, when the reminder popped up, I dropped my arms to the side and pretended that I was in a manual wheelchair and moved my arms backwards and forwards. The right arm did this easily, at first the left arm barely a twitched. Within a month, the left arm swinging backwards and forwards enthusiastically along with the right. I was absolutely flabbergasted at this progress and so happy that I can itch my right arm again!

I have not been able to use my legs for a few years now and I was struggling with circulation and they generally felt uncomfortable. I was lucky enough to find a passive walker and this has been very beneficial. The machine simulates the movement of walking and moves your feet for you. The first time that I used it I cried because I missed walking and it felt fantastic. Since then, my circulation has improved, the swelling in my feet has reduced significantly and my legs misbehave a little less.

I stepped things up by starting the MS Warrior Programme created and run by Dom Thorpe. I lost a lot of weight and gained core strength, I gained more defined biceps and a general feeling of well-being. This was a good sign but my craving for cake still did not leave me! Though I am pretty strict about my food intake now.

Staying mentally fit is very different. Anxiety and depression really has an impact on my day to day life but I try not to let a chemical imbalance win.

There are many ways to keep the brain active. I am nearly finished my second degree. This time I chose The Open University to study with and they have been brilliant! They extend deadlines if necessary, provide equipment to make courses more accessible and generally provide a nurturing environment to learn.

You do not have to go to this level to keep your mind active. I would highly recommend reading, puzzles (both jigsaw and word searches, crosswords etc). Anything that engages your cognitive function.

Challenge yourself, engage your body and mind. Find out what works for you. Remember, even the smallest movement is exercise and you may be surprised with what you can achieve over time.