How breaking my foot got me in great shape

I broke a bone on the side of my right foot outside of a bar at 3 a.m. in Amsterdam. I plead the fifth on how, but please remember the legal drinking age in the Netherlands is 18. I was mortified, it was such a stupid injury and I would have to wear a boot for over a month.

After the Netherlands, I went to Ireland and hobbled around, constantly guilty that my family had to change their plans to accommodate my dumb injury. I paid $300 out of pocket for an X-Ray at a Dutch hospital (which isn’t bad considering how much it would have been in the US without insurance).

When I returned home, I was bedridden, recovering from COVID and depressed. I have been a dancer my entire life and it was so foreign to me that I couldn’t use my body in the way I wanted to. I couldn’t walk my dog, couldn’t go on my toes, and couldn’t let go of the shame of my recklessness.

I had choreographed dances for my school dance company the two previous semesters, though found myself growing frustrated with the lack of commitment of some dancers and the lack of skill in others. Dance brings out the worst, I think mean thoughts about other people that I don't in other aspects of life. I am extremely competitive and had a hard time accepting the “just for fun” concept of the college dance group. Needless to say, my injury forced me to take a semester off.

Instead of time in the studio, I had to spend two hours a week at physical therapy. What I didn’t expect is that, a few weeks in, I had to “warm up” on the elliptical. I thought I was injured, yet here was this bald man telling me to spend ten whole minutes doing cardio, no headphones, no tv, just the awkward maneuverings of the injured elderly to entertain me.

It is not that I dislike working out. I love doing abs, I love dancing, I love going for walks. But structured cardio was not for me. I use my asthma as an excuse but I think I just hate feeling inadequate. That first time was really difficult for me. I was humiliated to be huffing and puffing as therapist Ian walked me through exercises.

I began doing the elliptical at the gym. I didn’t want to be so clearly out of shape at PT. It was almost backwards, I went to the gym to train for PT.

Sure enough, practice makes permanence and I found the elliptical much easier. Better yet, I found myself itching to dance and to create in a way I have not felt in a long time. I began slowly pushing my limits and creating choreography multiple times a week (just for fun!).

I eventually “graduated” physical therapy and still have the exercise bands to prove my hard work. My foot is better, I can safely go on relevé on my right foot and can do the elliptical like the best of them.

As cheesy as it sounds, I am somewhat grateful for the injury. I have formed a gym habit which was unfathomable to me in the past, and will return to my dance club with a renewed sense of appreciation, and hopefully a leniency for myself and my dancers. Who knew that Heinekens would lead to a personal journey of self improvement.