I am inviting you to join me and many others in preparing for surgery and recovery in a thoughtful, intentional, systematic way. I invite you to begin and sustain a rigorous program of mental and physical training. Begin it today, and use it to make substantive change in as many aspects of your life as… Continue reading We’re talking about your life
Category: Fitness
Four Perfectly Good Reasons to Skip Prehab
It’s Expensive Money is tight and I have to keep my powder dry for when I’ll really need it- after the surgery. Or I can just do what my HMO Physical Therapist gives me. I don’t have time or attention for this I have to get ahead on my work and make all these arrangements. I’m… Continue reading Four Perfectly Good Reasons to Skip Prehab
Strengthening Happens on Rest Days
Mustering the motivation to perform our exercise routine and staying active through the day to reach our step goal (whatever that is) can be a challenge. We might be sore, or tired, or feeling discouraged. Or imagining fatigue or discomfort after exercise with dread. What does one day matter, anyway? (that’s the voice of discouragement talking, btw).… Continue reading Strengthening Happens on Rest Days
Seven Reasons to Embrace PreHab
Prehab is just what is sounds like: it’s rehabilitation before surgery. The stronger you are going into surgery, the easier and faster your rehab will be. Your doctor or surgeon will readily confirm this (all of mine were emphatic about this). “Fat lot of good that does me”, you may be thinking. “I’m in too much… Continue reading Seven Reasons to Embrace PreHab
You can’t “just do what your PT says”
Take responsibility for your own recovery Without questioning the competence and dedication of the Physical Therapist assigned to you by your insurer, be forewarned: what you’re getting from them is likely not enough for a full and complete recovery. If you visit a PT twice a month, for 30-45 minutes, much of it spent assessing and talking,… Continue reading You can’t “just do what your PT says”
Secrets of Stretching
You can’t stretch like you fold laundry. At least once each day, you’re going to be doing some stretching. It’s up to you whether you view it as yet another chore to do in the shortest possible time, and possibly with a sense of resentment (“didn’t I just stretch yesterday?”). But you can learn to… Continue reading Secrets of Stretching
Wait, I have to stretch and exercise AGAIN?
I admit it. Some days I just can’t believe I have to exercise or stretch yet again. Didn’t I just do that? I may find myself filled with dread and inertia. I just don’t wanna. Whether we’re talking about staying comfortable and functional pre-op, or restoring comfort and function post-op, if you weren’t previously in… Continue reading Wait, I have to stretch and exercise AGAIN?
Exercise at the correct intensity
It’s easy to injure ourselves while training Because that’s how it works. Underdoing it has downsides, just as overdoing does. The goal is the walk the line between the two. And it’s not such a fine line- I found that after the initial period of inflammation, each week I could add a thousand or several… Continue reading Exercise at the correct intensity
It’s Not a Race
Notice when you’re comparing yourself to a mental picture or expectation. You might hear about someone else’s rate of recovery and decide that you should be able to transition from crutches to walking sticks when I did. Or you might wait longer than necessary because you don’t think you should be able to do something so soon.… Continue reading It’s Not a Race