Suffering a stupid injury (stupid because it was my own fault) is a lesson in just how robust and yet fragile our bodies are.
When you watch athletes compete (as I did in the first days of my injury when I could only sit or lie down and so inhaled every single event at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games that was possible through television emissions and internet streaming!) or when you see dancers or acrobats, it is easy to think that there is no limit to the feats of strength, flexibility or finesse of movement of which a human body is capable. Children in the playground seem to be always falling down. Adolescents spill down ski slopes in a torrent of snow dust and suffer no more than a strain. Even well-toned adults slip, bump, tip, crash in sometimes elaborate displays of physical ineptitude, and are up and at it again within days.
Listening to some of the Olympians interviewed, I couldn't imagine how on earth they could have shattered their knees, or broken their back, and spent months in casts before rigorous training to get back in their sport to compete. The fact they can walk at all is amazing let alone careen down ice on what looks like a tea tray at the Olympic games. One woman said her family motto growing up was "Safety third!" Despite loving that motto, I wondered at the highjinks that family must have got up to with that as their watchword. Imagine the family crest!!!
My husband's running coach is a case in point. She was young, she was fit, she was training for her first Ironman competition, and then she was hit by a truck. She broke her back, her pelvis and a limb or two and suffered nerve damage as well. After a long year of recovery though, she didn't just get back to running or cycling, she took part in triathlons and ironmen as well as competitions with ridiculous comic book names: super spartan, and tough mudder. Not only did she take part in them - she was winning them! She ran when she was pregnant and she has the Guinness world record for the fastest marathon while pushing her first born in a stroller (<3.5 hours BTW)!
If you want to know more about Allison Tai, be my guest: http://www.allisontai.wordpress.com
But my point is that the human frame can take a lot of abuse and yet come back to fitness and strength.
On the other hand,
Why is it that one childish body can withstand fall and after fall and then one day, the fall is different for some reason and an arm gets broken? Strong swimmers accidentally swallow a bit too much seawater and within a minute can be lost. Hockey players hit the boards just a tiny bit harder than usual and what normally is a bruise is now a concussion.
I wonder about those Olympic bodies in 30 years time. After suffering terrible injuries, will they be able to even move when they are 60 or 90?
If I had fallen the same way in 20 years time, I have no doubt there would have been a break or a fracture. And the older a body gets, the closer to a death sentence that can be. Once a hip or knee is broken and gets replaced, the other is at risk, muscle mass is lost. And as we age it gets harder and harder to get any of that back. It's brutally unfair that it can take months of hard word to be able to plank for a few minutes or lift your own body weight, and poof! Just like that, it is gone!
So I have followed the advice of some of those crazy fit people and set myself challenges. The first one was being able to walk to the bathroom. Then to shower myself. Then to dress. Climb stairs again. Get in the car. Drive the car. Walk 10 minutes, then 15. Garden.
Nothing fancy or dramatic. Not even noteworthy to anyone else but myself really. There are no medals at the end. No interviews. But a newfound appreciation for this crooked, inflamed, bruised body of mine. And patience interspersed with work to help it return to its former self. If not better!
Monday, April 28, 2014
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
A Knock Down of a Set Back
This Twisted Sister has just encountered a big ol' curve ball in her back care regimen.
Tuesday, late afternoon, I had just returned home from a massage therapy session, my first in almost 11 months, and started down my basement stairs, when I slipped and bumped down, top to bottom, the entire set of stairs. Bumpety-bump. 12 steep, narrow stairs to the bottom. My husband was behind me (no, I was not pushed!) and remarked later that my fall was quite a spectacular. He said it was impressively chilling to hear me grunt in pain as my lower back hit every stair and I landed in a heap at the bottom, crawling in pain and uttering "ow, ow ,ow" until the damage could be surveyed.
What didn't help me was the fact that I had a pear, a plate and a knife in one hand, my cellphone and a clutch of papers in my other hand, something else - can't remember what - under one arm, and was half turning to say something to my husband as I started down our stairs. Did I say they were unusually steep and narrow? It's an old house and things were not built to what we would call "code". In other words, I should be lucky they were at least of similar size and height.
But did I let go of any of the things I was carrying? NO! Why the heck not? This, my friend, I do not know. It has something to do with the way my brain is wired. Obviously "don't drop it" was a more successful childhood admonishment than "be careful". My elbows were purple and brown after hitting the stairs trying to save the things in my hands. As it happened, the plate did break (no doubt due to its proximity to the wood of the stairs every time my elbows came into contact with it - it might have escaped breakage if I had let it go) and my hands and face were bleeding with several small cuts made as I clutched pieces of a broken plate. Every thing else was just fine - even the pear had not a mark on it.
I showered and sat with an ice pack the rest of the evening, happy that everything still moved so nothing was broken. The next day I hobbled slowly around the house, able to water plants and edit documents. And then the real pain hit. Deep bruising down my entire back and buttocks, bruised elbows as aforementioned, and a left hip so painful I can't help but cry out every time I moved. The act of sitting down and standing up are particularly bad. There is no discolouration, but it is swollen as well as painful. That third night I lost it, the pain so bad I almost fainted and I cried to my husband to help me get into bed.
My Mom had been a nurse once upon a time, and I asked her advice. "Go to Emergency." Exactly what my husband had been saying for days. Sorry dear. You were right. Well, that's what Moms are for. But how to get there? One car is too low for me to even consider getting in and out of, and the other car is in the shop. I can't walk more than a few shuffled steps so no bus or subway. No taxis either - I can't sit down that low. So it's Dad and his Subaru to the rescue. That's what Dad's are for.
It was not the most romantic way to spend Friday evening, but I was finally wheeled in for a series of Xrays to determine if anything had been fractured. Then a wait while they were being examined. When the doctor came back she looking quite ashen and commented a little tentatively how curved my back was. For a spilt-second I thought of opening my eyes wide and replying "Curved? My back isn't curved. What do you mean?" But I couldn't play a trick like that on her, and certainly not with someone who has the power of making me take an enema.
The bad news is it will take at least a week of waiting before anything more can be done. The good news is there is no fracture. But the bad news is the swelling and the pain have to subside.
But the good news is the 2014 Winter Olympic Games are now on in Sochi, Russia.
So guilt-free Games watching!
Tuesday, late afternoon, I had just returned home from a massage therapy session, my first in almost 11 months, and started down my basement stairs, when I slipped and bumped down, top to bottom, the entire set of stairs. Bumpety-bump. 12 steep, narrow stairs to the bottom. My husband was behind me (no, I was not pushed!) and remarked later that my fall was quite a spectacular. He said it was impressively chilling to hear me grunt in pain as my lower back hit every stair and I landed in a heap at the bottom, crawling in pain and uttering "ow, ow ,ow" until the damage could be surveyed.
What didn't help me was the fact that I had a pear, a plate and a knife in one hand, my cellphone and a clutch of papers in my other hand, something else - can't remember what - under one arm, and was half turning to say something to my husband as I started down our stairs. Did I say they were unusually steep and narrow? It's an old house and things were not built to what we would call "code". In other words, I should be lucky they were at least of similar size and height.
But did I let go of any of the things I was carrying? NO! Why the heck not? This, my friend, I do not know. It has something to do with the way my brain is wired. Obviously "don't drop it" was a more successful childhood admonishment than "be careful". My elbows were purple and brown after hitting the stairs trying to save the things in my hands. As it happened, the plate did break (no doubt due to its proximity to the wood of the stairs every time my elbows came into contact with it - it might have escaped breakage if I had let it go) and my hands and face were bleeding with several small cuts made as I clutched pieces of a broken plate. Every thing else was just fine - even the pear had not a mark on it.
I showered and sat with an ice pack the rest of the evening, happy that everything still moved so nothing was broken. The next day I hobbled slowly around the house, able to water plants and edit documents. And then the real pain hit. Deep bruising down my entire back and buttocks, bruised elbows as aforementioned, and a left hip so painful I can't help but cry out every time I moved. The act of sitting down and standing up are particularly bad. There is no discolouration, but it is swollen as well as painful. That third night I lost it, the pain so bad I almost fainted and I cried to my husband to help me get into bed.
My Mom had been a nurse once upon a time, and I asked her advice. "Go to Emergency." Exactly what my husband had been saying for days. Sorry dear. You were right. Well, that's what Moms are for. But how to get there? One car is too low for me to even consider getting in and out of, and the other car is in the shop. I can't walk more than a few shuffled steps so no bus or subway. No taxis either - I can't sit down that low. So it's Dad and his Subaru to the rescue. That's what Dad's are for.
It was not the most romantic way to spend Friday evening, but I was finally wheeled in for a series of Xrays to determine if anything had been fractured. Then a wait while they were being examined. When the doctor came back she looking quite ashen and commented a little tentatively how curved my back was. For a spilt-second I thought of opening my eyes wide and replying "Curved? My back isn't curved. What do you mean?" But I couldn't play a trick like that on her, and certainly not with someone who has the power of making me take an enema.
The bad news is it will take at least a week of waiting before anything more can be done. The good news is there is no fracture. But the bad news is the swelling and the pain have to subside.
But the good news is the 2014 Winter Olympic Games are now on in Sochi, Russia.
So guilt-free Games watching!
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| At Emergency Friday night with my techni-colour bruised elbows |
Monday, February 3, 2014
Hanging Around in Bars
When I was ready to order a set of exercise bars, my UK-based Scoliosis SOS clinic gave me the card of Artimex Sport (http://www.artimexsport.com/en/index.php) a company that makes all sorts of sport and gymnastic bars for all sorts and sizes of walls. They would ship worldwide, but the cost of course would be more than if I lived in the UK.
But their site provided a link to their North American rep, Artimex USA which is actually called InFitness Equipment (www.infitnessequipment.com
The trick was installation. I like to think I've retained my girlish figure into adulthood. But let's be real - I am going to hang from it and pull on it and generally use all my strength against it, so it's got to be skookum (i.e., "strong" in local Native Indian parlance).
The wall I chose had a good strong stud on one side, but had nothing to fit it to the other side.
A friend of a friend came in and built out my wall, moved an electric outlet, and added a full length mirror to "mirror" that of the clinic setups.
A couple of hours later and ta-da, I have my own private gym.
I think I will call it "Jim"
But their site provided a link to their North American rep, Artimex USA which is actually called InFitness Equipment (www.infitnessequipment.com
The trick was installation. I like to think I've retained my girlish figure into adulthood. But let's be real - I am going to hang from it and pull on it and generally use all my strength against it, so it's got to be skookum (i.e., "strong" in local Native Indian parlance).
The wall I chose had a good strong stud on one side, but had nothing to fit it to the other side.
 |
| Clinic wall bars |
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Enter stage left: Pilates! And stage right. And from above. And from below.....
Pilates is an exercise program designed to build strength in the so called "powerhouse" of the body: the roughly rectangular shape of the torso, from shoulders down to the thighs. It is all about strengthening those parts of the body that support us most, and at the same time increase flexibility and balance.
Because the emphasis of pilates is on pelvic and spinal alignment, it can be a very good thing indeed for someone with scoliosis. However.....(don't you hate the fact there is always a "however"?) not every pilates exercise is good for anyone let alone someone with a bit more curves on one side than the other. A good instructor will know how to modify an exercise for both range of difficulty and range of possibility depending on what your body is capable of. Intensity and dexterity can be increased over time as the body conditions and adapts to the exercises.
If the previous paragraph was not clear enough, allow me to reiterate: It is really, really important to find a pilates instructor who is qualified, and ideally has either experience with scoliosis or with physiotherapy. Do not tinker with the internet, youtube videos and how-to handbooks. These are not a good idea for anyone actually.
Pilates is designed to wake up all those little muscles that don't get worked because the big ones immediately get in there and activate. So if something happens to them or when they start to break down, there is nothing underneath that can keep you upright and mobile. An introduction to pilates should start with the basics, including how to breathe (I kid you not! It was soon apparent to me that I have been breathing inefficiently all these years. It's a wonder I'm still alive)
The powerhouse muscles are the transversus abdominus (the muscle that runs between the ribs and the pelvis), the multifidus (next to the spine in the lower back) and the pelvic floor muscles. Focusing on these muscles strengthens the body core from the inside, like constructing a scaffold, which is not only good for degenerative disc diseases or rehabilitation from a back surgery, the sorts of things that inspired Mr. Joseph Pilates to begin with, but is also the ticket for those with scoliosis. And just as poorly constructed scaffolding that isn't well designed or tailored to an individual building will end in disaster, exercises that are not taught correctly and to a patient’s unique back diagnosis could result in even more problems. And haven't we problems enough without adding to them?
Work one-on-one if you can or in a very small class to determine what your body needs. Anything that is difficult is probably important for you. And if you are sore the next day, remember what exercise made you sore, 'cuz that's the one you probably need most!
Exercising with good posture is absolutely vital in pilates. There's a constant need to remember to keep your neck relaxed, your chin tucked, your lats. down and firing, your abs. taught but not tight, your glutes relaxed, etc. etc..... Pilates demands such intense mental focus so that you can control each movement throughout an entire sequence, connecting movements between one or more specific parts of the body and the mind while also paying attention to breathing, bending, extension, rotation and flexing of the spine. Looking at someone lying there seemingly taking a coffee break, it may look easy, but do not ever say so or you will get a dark look and perhaps a swift uppercut to the jaw. Pilates is no walk in the park!
Precision is essential, so that the muscle intended to be worked does the work and doesn't allow a larger, stronger muscle to take over. It is far better to do only a few exercises in perfect form than a hundred reps. in poor form. This is particularly important for those with scoliosis, as there will no doubt be exercises and thus modifications that are actually detrimental to a particular curve.
Avoid the tendency to think larger is better; working in flexion and extension works well. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction (there you are Dr. Mosley - I did remember something from your physics class!) Having scoliosis means you should not be surprises to find that rotation and side-bending will always be limited in one direction. In most cases it is best to exercise both sides the same, but do the side that needs it more.
The goal of course is to eventually exercise in a form and posture that has become second nature, and that can be carried over into everyday life.
Because the emphasis of pilates is on pelvic and spinal alignment, it can be a very good thing indeed for someone with scoliosis. However.....(don't you hate the fact there is always a "however"?) not every pilates exercise is good for anyone let alone someone with a bit more curves on one side than the other. A good instructor will know how to modify an exercise for both range of difficulty and range of possibility depending on what your body is capable of. Intensity and dexterity can be increased over time as the body conditions and adapts to the exercises.
If the previous paragraph was not clear enough, allow me to reiterate: It is really, really important to find a pilates instructor who is qualified, and ideally has either experience with scoliosis or with physiotherapy. Do not tinker with the internet, youtube videos and how-to handbooks. These are not a good idea for anyone actually.
Pilates is designed to wake up all those little muscles that don't get worked because the big ones immediately get in there and activate. So if something happens to them or when they start to break down, there is nothing underneath that can keep you upright and mobile. An introduction to pilates should start with the basics, including how to breathe (I kid you not! It was soon apparent to me that I have been breathing inefficiently all these years. It's a wonder I'm still alive)
The powerhouse muscles are the transversus abdominus (the muscle that runs between the ribs and the pelvis), the multifidus (next to the spine in the lower back) and the pelvic floor muscles. Focusing on these muscles strengthens the body core from the inside, like constructing a scaffold, which is not only good for degenerative disc diseases or rehabilitation from a back surgery, the sorts of things that inspired Mr. Joseph Pilates to begin with, but is also the ticket for those with scoliosis. And just as poorly constructed scaffolding that isn't well designed or tailored to an individual building will end in disaster, exercises that are not taught correctly and to a patient’s unique back diagnosis could result in even more problems. And haven't we problems enough without adding to them?
Work one-on-one if you can or in a very small class to determine what your body needs. Anything that is difficult is probably important for you. And if you are sore the next day, remember what exercise made you sore, 'cuz that's the one you probably need most!
Exercising with good posture is absolutely vital in pilates. There's a constant need to remember to keep your neck relaxed, your chin tucked, your lats. down and firing, your abs. taught but not tight, your glutes relaxed, etc. etc..... Pilates demands such intense mental focus so that you can control each movement throughout an entire sequence, connecting movements between one or more specific parts of the body and the mind while also paying attention to breathing, bending, extension, rotation and flexing of the spine. Looking at someone lying there seemingly taking a coffee break, it may look easy, but do not ever say so or you will get a dark look and perhaps a swift uppercut to the jaw. Pilates is no walk in the park!
Precision is essential, so that the muscle intended to be worked does the work and doesn't allow a larger, stronger muscle to take over. It is far better to do only a few exercises in perfect form than a hundred reps. in poor form. This is particularly important for those with scoliosis, as there will no doubt be exercises and thus modifications that are actually detrimental to a particular curve.
Avoid the tendency to think larger is better; working in flexion and extension works well. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction (there you are Dr. Mosley - I did remember something from your physics class!) Having scoliosis means you should not be surprises to find that rotation and side-bending will always be limited in one direction. In most cases it is best to exercise both sides the same, but do the side that needs it more.
The goal of course is to eventually exercise in a form and posture that has become second nature, and that can be carried over into everyday life.
Saturday, November 9, 2013
Pilates - an introduction
If you were to play 20 questions with this one, you should know that "pilates" can be both a person and a thing.
The exercise program Pilates is derived from the name of one man, a German, Joseph Pilates. By all accounts he was a sickly child who turned to exercise, sport and competition. No video games a hundred years ago!
One thing there was about a hundred years ago was a World War, the first World War in fact. And Mr. Pilates found himself in England at a time when Germans were not particularly popular. Why was he in England? He ran away and joined the circus. No, I'm not joking, He really did run away and join the circus!
So there he is in an English internment camp, along with other 'enemy aliens', many of whom were suffering from war injuries. And depressed as all get out. Well, wouldn't you be? So our man Pilates starts to develop a series of exercises that can be done on the floor, or on a bed, or in a chair - using straps and ropes and bed frames and anything he can find to isolate and develop muscles that will not only speed the healing process, but make the body stronger, and through doing so develop a more positive attitude.
After the war Joseph Pilates returned to Germany, where his method had became famous. When 'invited' to join the German army, he wisely whipped off across the Atlantic and settled in New York.
And lived happily ever after.
Well maybe. Maybe not. I never met the man myself. I can only hope good things came his way because he left us with a program of exercise that might just be a scoliosis sufferer's best friend.
With scoliosis, the spine is rotated and tilted and curved, so standing straight becomes like the holy grail, impossible to find. And if the body has problems standing upright as originally designed to do, then the muscles must try to do what the vertebrae can't. Enter Pilates.
My next post will illustrate how Pilates does what it does, and why I will never live without it!
The exercise program Pilates is derived from the name of one man, a German, Joseph Pilates. By all accounts he was a sickly child who turned to exercise, sport and competition. No video games a hundred years ago!
One thing there was about a hundred years ago was a World War, the first World War in fact. And Mr. Pilates found himself in England at a time when Germans were not particularly popular. Why was he in England? He ran away and joined the circus. No, I'm not joking, He really did run away and join the circus!
So there he is in an English internment camp, along with other 'enemy aliens', many of whom were suffering from war injuries. And depressed as all get out. Well, wouldn't you be? So our man Pilates starts to develop a series of exercises that can be done on the floor, or on a bed, or in a chair - using straps and ropes and bed frames and anything he can find to isolate and develop muscles that will not only speed the healing process, but make the body stronger, and through doing so develop a more positive attitude.
After the war Joseph Pilates returned to Germany, where his method had became famous. When 'invited' to join the German army, he wisely whipped off across the Atlantic and settled in New York.
And lived happily ever after.
Well maybe. Maybe not. I never met the man myself. I can only hope good things came his way because he left us with a program of exercise that might just be a scoliosis sufferer's best friend.
With scoliosis, the spine is rotated and tilted and curved, so standing straight becomes like the holy grail, impossible to find. And if the body has problems standing upright as originally designed to do, then the muscles must try to do what the vertebrae can't. Enter Pilates.
My next post will illustrate how Pilates does what it does, and why I will never live without it!
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Staying Positive
I spent 3 months travelling around Turkey and southern Africa, bouncing around in a bus or truck, and having a fantastic time. But there was not a huge amount of walking or hiking, very little swimming, and no time! Too much sketching Seljic architecture and looking at exotic animals and hanging out with my traveling companions.
So when I returned to earth (or my little piece of it) I found that the only big change over the last few months was to my brain. Which is great - I have no problem with that at all! But my body is still achy and crooked and weak. Weaker than when I left on my travels!
Sigh. It's so easy to just crawl into bed with a large bar of chocolate and a good book and plan to stay there for the rest of my life. But I know that is the worst thing I could do!
Move, move, move! Back to pilates class with the lovely Shauna. She assures me that muscles have memory and my strength will come back, and they will come back even better with my new-found knowledge.
Back to yoga class with the lovely Nancy. She suggests modifications without any judgement and praises me when I remember to move my right knee out or activate my lats.
Back to the gym at the lovely Sunset Community Centre. Besides the elliptical machine I can now do the bike. I even tried out the Stairmaaster for 5 minutes on level 1, just to start waking up my glute muscles.
Back to the roads with the lovely Raquets and Runners group, Nadine and the gang, or with Silvia, or with myself. Fast walking for an hour or so, no matter what the weather, chatting about our weeks or whatever comes up.
Back to Stretch for Scoliosis class with the lovely Martha. The elements of dance she adds to her classes always makes me feel free and willowy, and I leave with less pain and I'm sure a couple of inches taller!
Back to dancing with the lovely Ceroc team. It will take awhile but I will get to the point where I can dance all evening again. And who doesn't love dancing with 20+ partners a night?
Back to singing with the lovely Allison. I can feel my voice is already a bit stronger than it used to be.
Back to eating vegetables and fruits and fish and all the things I missed while away.
Back to work with the wonderful Martin, now conscious of how I sit and when I need to take a stretch break. Back to working on projects that interest me and that, if successful, will impact a lot of people in many different and postive ways. I love my work.
Back to creative writing with lovely broadband, providing an outlet for my thoughts and feelings and imagination.
Back to French conversations with the lovely Gillian. We meet once a fortnight to practice our language. Use it or lose it!
Back to weekly coffee visits with the lovely parental units. Regular check-ins assures us all that we are well and happy and passionately curious about the world and everything in and around it.
Back to all the lunches and dinners and teas and conversations with my friends and family.
Being active and engaged has saved me from myself. It all contributes to a general feeling of optimism. I want to strive just a bit harder, work a bit better, listen more, question more. People are supportive and have good suggestions and empathize. Staying positive is a choice, I've realized. But a choice that must be made consciously many times before it becomes more habitual. There's always a positive angle to anything, and finding it will be the making of me I truly believe
So when I returned to earth (or my little piece of it) I found that the only big change over the last few months was to my brain. Which is great - I have no problem with that at all! But my body is still achy and crooked and weak. Weaker than when I left on my travels!
Sigh. It's so easy to just crawl into bed with a large bar of chocolate and a good book and plan to stay there for the rest of my life. But I know that is the worst thing I could do!
Move, move, move! Back to pilates class with the lovely Shauna. She assures me that muscles have memory and my strength will come back, and they will come back even better with my new-found knowledge.
Back to yoga class with the lovely Nancy. She suggests modifications without any judgement and praises me when I remember to move my right knee out or activate my lats.
Back to the gym at the lovely Sunset Community Centre. Besides the elliptical machine I can now do the bike. I even tried out the Stairmaaster for 5 minutes on level 1, just to start waking up my glute muscles.
Back to the roads with the lovely Raquets and Runners group, Nadine and the gang, or with Silvia, or with myself. Fast walking for an hour or so, no matter what the weather, chatting about our weeks or whatever comes up.
Back to Stretch for Scoliosis class with the lovely Martha. The elements of dance she adds to her classes always makes me feel free and willowy, and I leave with less pain and I'm sure a couple of inches taller!
Back to dancing with the lovely Ceroc team. It will take awhile but I will get to the point where I can dance all evening again. And who doesn't love dancing with 20+ partners a night?
Back to singing with the lovely Allison. I can feel my voice is already a bit stronger than it used to be.
Back to eating vegetables and fruits and fish and all the things I missed while away.
Back to work with the wonderful Martin, now conscious of how I sit and when I need to take a stretch break. Back to working on projects that interest me and that, if successful, will impact a lot of people in many different and postive ways. I love my work.
Back to creative writing with lovely broadband, providing an outlet for my thoughts and feelings and imagination.
Back to French conversations with the lovely Gillian. We meet once a fortnight to practice our language. Use it or lose it!
Back to weekly coffee visits with the lovely parental units. Regular check-ins assures us all that we are well and happy and passionately curious about the world and everything in and around it.
Back to all the lunches and dinners and teas and conversations with my friends and family.
Being active and engaged has saved me from myself. It all contributes to a general feeling of optimism. I want to strive just a bit harder, work a bit better, listen more, question more. People are supportive and have good suggestions and empathize. Staying positive is a choice, I've realized. But a choice that must be made consciously many times before it becomes more habitual. There's always a positive angle to anything, and finding it will be the making of me I truly believe
Monday, September 30, 2013
Pole Dancing
The Scoliosis SOS clinic has us all doing several exercises in compromising positions with one or more long poles added to the act. I would have loved to have been a fly on the ceiling, watching us get practically every piece of equipment that was possible. Straps, beanbags, blocks, cylinders, large stools, small stools - we would look like ants near a nest, all moving here and there not hitting each other (often) busy with our tasks.
And then another 5 minutes or so trying to get set up. this strap goes up to the thrid rung but this strape stays on the bottom rung, this pole goes here theis bean bag gets shoved there, etc. etc.
In the end of our contortions we would track and tension against the pole or poles rammed against the wall, providing the elongation. Some derotation was added as a gift with purchase, depending on the exercise. As usual we could grunt it out for 6 long counts each repetition and after 12 repetitions we'd release the poles and lie gasping in child's pose.
The strap that tethered us to the bars would often get so tight that we would have to rub our lower back while kneeling up and down, just to get the blood flowing. Once we'd rested off we'd go again, straining against the strap, pushing against the poles: kneeling, lying on our backs, lying on our sides, whatever the position.
In the end, one of these exercises made it on to my weekly schedule to do every other day, with the other pole exercises slotted in once every couple of weeks. No surprise that the exercise I have to do more frequently is the one most devoted to derotation!
And then another 5 minutes or so trying to get set up. this strap goes up to the thrid rung but this strape stays on the bottom rung, this pole goes here theis bean bag gets shoved there, etc. etc.
In the end of our contortions we would track and tension against the pole or poles rammed against the wall, providing the elongation. Some derotation was added as a gift with purchase, depending on the exercise. As usual we could grunt it out for 6 long counts each repetition and after 12 repetitions we'd release the poles and lie gasping in child's pose.
The strap that tethered us to the bars would often get so tight that we would have to rub our lower back while kneeling up and down, just to get the blood flowing. Once we'd rested off we'd go again, straining against the strap, pushing against the poles: kneeling, lying on our backs, lying on our sides, whatever the position.
In the end, one of these exercises made it on to my weekly schedule to do every other day, with the other pole exercises slotted in once every couple of weeks. No surprise that the exercise I have to do more frequently is the one most devoted to derotation!
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| Supine with Poles |
 |
| Kneeling with Poles |
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| Side-lying with a Pole |
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