How Mr. Miller re-found his way

There comes a point in every person’s life where they have to make a decision concerning their health and well-being and how they want to live their life.

For Kellogg’s Jim Miller Jr., it was May 2012.

After a potentially life-threatening infection spread from his foot, Miller had emergency surgery to fully amputate his left leg below his knee.

Following his surgery, Miller was really left with just two options:

Do nothing and spend the rest of his life as a potential burden.

Or…

Take control of his life and make the most of his new situation.

He chose the latter and is living his best life because of it.

“After a surgery like that I tell people that I had to learn how to walk again, and a lot of that had to do with balance,” Miller said. “Things like bending over to pick something up off the floor were very difficult for me.”

The now 70-year-old Miller, with the help of some doctors, as well as the physical therapists at the Shoshone Medical Center Wellness Center, developed a full workout routine that helped him re-learn to walk as well as began cultivating better strength and balance on his remaining leg.

After awhile, his balance returned and he was fully mobile again, but he made the conscious decision to continue the workout regime he had gotten accustomed to and truly enjoyed.

“I have a routine where I’ll use a lot of different machines at the gym,” Miller said. “I do spend a lot of time on the arm bike, the chest press, doing leg lifts, but my favorite is the NuStep Recumbent Exercise Bike.”

Biking was a pastime for Miller, who enjoyed the access to the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes prior to his surgery, but has been limited by his balance issues and unable to ride a bike — he is considering trying a recumbent bike.

Hitting the gym has also been a positive experience socially for Miller, as he enjoys the regularity of seeing people at the Wellness Center, but his two favorite parts of his fitness lifestyle are a little more personal.

“Probably my favorite part of going to the gym is that it’s something my wife, Delene, and I can do together. We do quite a bit on our own, so it’s nice to do this with her,” Miller said. “After that, I think I like that it makes me feel good, even if I work out hard and I’m tired, it’s not a dogged tired, it’s a good, accomplished tired. Those are probably my favorite aspects of going to the gym.”

They don’t slouch either.

Miller and his wife work out Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday for anywhere from an hour to an hour and half, no matter what time of the year it is.

Miller knew that following his surgery there would be things that would be struggles no matter how hard he worked.

Things like walking up inclines, or simple tasks around the house that require specific movements were difficult, but he has managed to overcome much of that through sheer willpower and his dedication to staying in the gym.

“Working out helps me rotate around the house and the community. I know I’m not in the best shape and could stand to lose some weight, but I’m definitely able to get around better,” Miller said. “If I didn’t work out, I would probably gain weight rapidly and I would just be kind of a blob.”

For those who may be struggling to find their motivation as it pertains to exercising, Miller is very blunt concerning how he let things get really bad before he had to take action.

He wants people to be brave enough to start going and to keep going.

There’s nothing fancy about it, his biggest workout tip is to keep doing it.

“You’ve got to get into a routine where you miss it if you can’t get in and work out,” Miller said. “Sometimes going through the door is the hardest thing. And you know what they say, ‘it’s when you don’t feel like working out that you really need to.’ So getting in a routine and staying motivated is important.”