Discipline, the ability to consistently control one’s behavior and choices, is one of the most difficult skills a human can master. Learning to hold yourself accountable for your actions and training your body to adopt a certain way of life is not easy. My grandma, Connie Schmidt, is 85 years old and has had a long time to perfect the art of discipline. But I never would have guessed that it would save her life.
On a sunny afternoon last June, my mom got a call that my grandma had a stroke while teaching her weekly exercise class for elders. My grandma’s students recognized that something was off with her slurred speech and sluggish movements. She wasn’t able to move the right side of her body as much as her left, which is the telltale sign of someone who is having a stroke.
I will never forget that day. Time nearly stops when you hear that someone you love so dearly is experiencing a life-threatening medical emergency. Your mind immediately goes to the worst and spirals out of control.
However, the next day, my family found out that my grandma was expected to make a full recovery. But what stood out to me was what the doctor told my family about the severity of her stroke. He said that my grandma’s stroke would have been much worse if she had not exercised for the majority of her life.
For those who don’t know, during a stroke, blood flow to part of the brain is cut off from a blockage, causing brain cells to die from a lack of oxygen. Because my grandma exercised since she was young, her brain actually grew another blood vessel that bypassed the blockage entirely. Her brain was still able to receive oxygen, and her stroke was less severe.
“I still don’t believe I had a stroke,” Schmidt said. “I didn’t know a stroke…could paralyze you all over, but I think [exercise] really helped me.”
When it comes to exercise, Schmidt has been walking for as long as she can remember. She used to walk to the store, the bus stop, around the block, you name it. Walking became second nature to her, and she never found it boring.
“I had to walk from school to home, and it was a trip,” my grandma said. “[Walking] was just part of my makeup and growing up.”
Fast forward a decade or so, and my grandma had my mother, who was about two years old at the time, riding her tricycle for miles while my grandma walked beside her. These activities became traditions, as my grandma had often said my mother didn’t nap when she was younger because she was always busy and active. Ironically, my brother and I both inherited that trait.
Every time my grandma came over to our house to spend time with my brother and me, we would go bowling, play at the park, or spend time outside. The activities were endless. There was never a moment when my grandma had us sitting on the couch or watching tv. Through her teachings, exercise became essential for our happiness and good health.
Looking back now, my grandma’s emphasis on exercise when I was younger has shaped my entire life. I see how she influenced everything from my active childhood to my 12-year athletic career. Although I don’t compete anymore, I still move my body every single day.
Throughout Schmidt’s experiences, I learned that even simple, consistent exercise can truly save your life. She taught me that taking care of your body is not optional because it’s the foundation for everything you do, now and in the future.
“I think it’s important to move, even if you move a little bit, every day, in a different direction,” Schmidt said.
