Rewriting Strength: Finding New Ways to Move

The previous blog post was quite heavy with medical terminology and might have been a bit less entertaining. Saying that, I had to include that part of the whole journey to showcase how difficult and soul destroying it could be for some of us to get to the bottom of things. And I am not even talking about getting to the stage of treatment, just getting a right diagnosis. Or the disappointment of experiencing first hand how uninvolved, unsupportive and negligent some of the medical professionals are…

The Beginning of a More Mindful Life

My transition into a more mindful way of living began in the summer of 2018, when I attended a Yoga and Mindfulness retreat in Bali. It didn’t suddenly make me “zen,” but it opened my eyes on the benefits of slowing down.

At that time, my yoga practice was strong, fast, and sweaty - think vinyasa, strong flow and ashtanga. Everything in my life mirrored that speed. I was always moving, always filling every waking moment with action, which, as I can clearly see it now, was not good for body or mind.

That was also the time when I discovered Essential Oils and stopped using perfume for good. I came back from Bali and took two Aromatherapy Courses and that was the start of my side hassle of blending and creating products using essential oils began.

Life Between Diagnosis and Reality

My third time climbing Stag Pollaidh. Best views!

Even though the hip dysplasia diagnosis sat quietly at the back of my mind, life was still full and, for the most part of it, pain-free until spring/summer 2024. I had already stopped high-impact exercises, but I didn’t give up on strength training, just changed my gym routine and found enjoyment in slower paced activities.

During lockdown, I trained in Yin Yoga and Mindfulness, which quickly became my favourite practice to teach. Since 2020, my focus has been on teaching Pilates, yoga, running yoga and mindfulness events and retreats, and working with essential oils.

On top of Ben Loyal. It is quite a story how I got there, but it's for another Blog.

I climbed Stag Pollaidh three times, hiked Ben Eighe in 2022, and Ben Loyal in 2023, took my daughter to Tenerife in early 2024 where we walked up to 25,000 steps a day, and overall managed life well. Pain wasn’t absent, but it was manageable. A hip replacement wasn’t even on my radar.

Ben Eighe - one of my favourite hikes. The toughest scramble to date. I am not good with heights or scrambling, so that was quite an adventure!

In spring 2022, I discovered cold-water swimming and it has been nothing short of life-changing for me. Not only did it work wonders for my mental health, but it also became one of the best anti-inflammatory remedies for my hip.

Still, the pain lingered in the background. I began adapting the structure of my events and workshops, weaving in more restorative practices to protect my joints.

When Pain Changed the Game

Eventually, things shifted. The pain worsened, and my hip began to deteriorate rapidly. That meant more changes:

• Stopped training my lower body at the gym, focusing instead on upper body and core strength.

  
  

• Strengthened the muscles around my hip mostly through Pilates.

• Occasionally used walking poles.

• Modified my teaching sometimes describing movements instead of demonstrating.

• Reduced the amount of yoga I taught as it became too painful.

• Lost almost all my cardio… until I found swimming.

  
  

Finding Freedom in the Water

In February 2025, I started pool swimming. Since breaststroke aggravated my hip, I had to learn front crawl from scratch. Within months, I built up to swimming 2 km per session, 3–4 times per week.

That summer, I even swam 21 miles for MacMillan and raised £250 for the charity.

Swimming became my escape from pain. In the water I could move freely, without limping, without wincing, without holding back. It became my happy place: somewhere I felt strong, capable, and whole again.

I may not have been able to run or walk long distances, but swimming gave me a new sense of achievement.

Looking Back

If I could go back and change anything on a purely physical level, I probably would have started swimming much earlier and would have spent even more time strengthening the muscles around my hip while I still could.

This chapter of my life has taught me something invaluable: just because we can no longer do something we once loved, doesn’t mean life is over. With time, patience, and a willingness to explore, we can find joy in new things.

Replacing one habit with another can open up a whole new world of activities and passions we never found enjoyable, because we simply have not tried them! Not all of them are going to stick, but some of them will - we just need to give it time and patience.

It may sound a little cliché, but even in the hardest situations, even when life feels cruel and unfair, there is always something to be grateful for.

To Be Continued…