Both Jill and I have been active our entire lives. We were athletes when we were kids and still consider ourselves to be active with a desire and want to be outdoors, playing sports and participating in recreational activities. There are times when the disease has limited our options to do certain activities; however, we have always found a way to try and stay active. We might move from an outside walk or run to the treadmill. We might do 2-5 pound weights while taking calls at work compared to being able to do pull ups or push-ups. We have suffered through days, weeks, and months where we could not do any type of activity, where sitting or standing was about all we had in us; however, the moment the tides changed and we could be active we were. Don’t feel lazy when you are in the middle of the battle, survive it and move on as quickly as possible to take advantage of feeling better. Live life fully when you can because sometimes those times can be fleeting. When Jill is feeling well enough, she enjoys surfing, biking, running, hiking, golf and playing soccer with her husband and daughter. I am a fan of walking, fishing, and golf these days, although I like to mix it up when possible and play tennis or go for a swim. I have a weak core because of all of my abdominal surgeries; however, I work to strengthen that with low impact exercises. If you can engage a trainer or have a physical therapist help you with strengthening exercises, I would recommend it. Make sure you have a good pair of athletic shoes, and also comfortable work out outfits that you can wear and feel good about yourself. Because of my ileostomy, I have a tendency to wear high wasted shorts or yoga pants, and either a fitted sports top or t-shirt, but get to know your body and wear what makes you feel good.