Public Commitment to Exercise

[fern]

@RussellSue, that's some serious commitment, and it seems like you have good motivation to exercise even when you're busy and don't want to.

I rode my bike to and from a clinic, about an hour round trip, and was a good workout on the way back with the wind resistance today. I needed to get some new hire health stuff done and figured riding my bike there would be a good way to get some exercise in.

 

[RussellSue]

seems like you have good motivation to exercise even when you're busy and don't want to.

Thank you. I am really struggling with it right now. I'm pretty sore and consistently tired. I cut cardio out of my routine mainly because I am already on my feet more hours than I am used to and I injured myself pretty badly last year doing that. I am not on my feet near as much right now as I was last year, though.

So you are starting a new job and starting to ride your bike, too? Congrats! That sounds like a great new routine.

 

[fern]

Thank you. I am really struggling with it right now. I'm pretty sore and consistently tired. I cut cardio out of my routine mainly because I am already on my feet more hours than I am used to and I injured myself pretty badly last year doing that. I am not on my feet near as much right now as I was last year, though.

So you are starting a new job and starting to ride your bike, too? Congrats! That sounds like a great new routine.

Sounds like you are finding good modifications/working with your injury in order to keep active with exercise.

Yes, I am starting a new job and hoping to ride my bike there at least some of the time. I have had resistance to other forms of exercise, for various reasons. Yoga is really beneficial but I find it really difficult sometimes to get into that space of vulnerability required- just you being present in your body, and your thoughts.
It has been therapeutic for me but I'm not quite in that space recently.

 

[RussellSue]

Sounds like you are finding good modifications/working with your injury in order to keep active with exercise.

I am trying. I will be so relieved when I am done with this rebuilding project. I actually restart physical therapy next week and it seems a little ludicrous considering that I installed a roof, yesterday. I am getting plenty of exercise but not always the kind I need.

The pain is there for sure but we got ourselves into a little situation with this park model purchase and my labor is the only labor we have the funds for after the move, paying my husband's tuition and buying a car. I had vowed to be done with these sorts of projects but I had this great idea to buy a park model instead of renting a house in order to save money. There's always a trade-off.

I have to admit, though, I am kinda proud of my handy-work even if it is beating the hell out of me. It's a complicated project and I'm happy with how it is turning out.

Yoga is really beneficial but I find it really difficult sometimes to get into that space of vulnerability required- just you being present in your body, and your thoughts.

That sounds similar to my problem with meditation. I know full well I ought to do it but it goes so far against my instincts of remaining alert and making forward motion that I never actually do it.

I used to do yoga even though I also had difficulty slowing down for that but eventually was informed that it was one of the worst things I could do as a person with hypermobility - it increases range of motion and I didn't need that, at all. Ultimately, it was increasing my pain and probably contributing to further joint damage.

I imagine the bike riding will help with the stress of starting a new job. Biking is really a great form of exercise - so much better for the joints than running and better for the heart than walking.

Do you mind me asking what you'll be doing at the new job? I'm still trying to find myself. My last job was nothing to brag about but I liked it. I worked for the Goodwill as an online auction lister for minimum wage even though I have a graduate-level education. I'm planning to continue to look for administrative assistant work in November but my therapist seems to think I have a good possibility of putting more of my education to use or making other plans entirely if I get through some EMDR. That would be nice. Except having lived 100% disabled for many years, I don't think I ever considered what I actually wanted to do, just what I was able to. I have no idea what that might look like.


Well, since I have written a letter, I will close. Have a great day!

 

[fern]

Sounds like a ton of work, and a big accomplishment to have your own special space and be free from paying RENT! I hope physical therapy goes well.


I am working in healthcare as a medical assistant.

You have a great day and well!

 

[RussellSue]

I am working in healthcare as a medical assistant.

Wow. That amazes me. I have so much medical trauma and trauma from ER visits with others and deaths that I think healthcare is the least likely fit for me. I guess it kind of surprises me that anyone with PTSD could work in healthcare. Good for you.

I was a homeowner for 11 years but then my husband lured me into an off-grid mess. I'm still a little miffed ? but am getting over it. I like being a homeowner and having electricity and hot water, too. I also like being in charge of my housing to the greatest extent possible because I got tossed around a lot as a kid.

I have to confess, I only did half of my exercises yesterday and my butt hurts a lot. I saw a hip specialist today and he says I probably have tendinitis again in my hamstring. I'm planning to do the rest of my exercises today and do the whole schmear tomorrow. Since I do start PT again next week, hopefully they will have a whole new set of exercises for me because for some reason my glute, hamstring and sciatic nerve on the left side just don't want to cooperate.

That said, my plan to increase my leg raises is on hold because my pain spiked when I added a few per day. I think my best best is to focus on my shoulders right now but don't want to stop my basic hip/core strengthening exercises because I really feel like those and my low sugar, low processed foods diet are the things keeping my arthritis in check. Everything is a balancing act, all the time. Sigh. At least it isn't dual labral tears, sciatica and calcific tendinitis in my glute all at once. I complain now but that was 9 months of chronic level 7-8 pain that I am glad to be over!

Do you still think you'll be able to do 5 days a week on your bike? That's a pretty hefty commitment. Of course, I am scared of cars and I think I'd really struggle to ride a bike in most places.

 

[Mattthew]

The last time I exercised was 15 years ago, and I need to lose 50 lbs. Am currently defining an exercise plan using the Fitbod app along with a stretching and yoga position guide. Will run through it this weekend with the intent of starting seriously on Monday.

 

[RussellSue]

The last time I exercised was 15 years ago, and I need to lose 50 lbs. Am currently defining an exercise plan using the Fitbod app along with a stretching and yoga position guide. Will run through it this weekend with the intent of starting seriously on Monday.

I am glad to hear you are getting started and I hope you reach out for support and/or motivation as the need arises. Often, I am just in here basically telling anyone or no one that I plan to exercise for the day but just the act of doing it seems to keep me on task most of the time.

I was a little more than 50 pounds heavier than I am now when I started watching my diet and exercising. It's been a few years ago now but I remember it being very hard. Truth be told, the only reason I did it was because I have hypermobility and the extra weight coupled with having weak muscles was causing me a lot of joint problems. As I get older, it becomes a bigger and bigger deal that I keep up that muscle strength as I have ongoing joint problems such as chronic tendinitis and now some arthritis that are both caused by the hypermobility. Nevertheless, it remains difficult because frankly, I have never really been active in my life except for the last 5 years or so and I was never inclined to be.

Exercise is so good for mood and anxiety. I wish you the best as you start this new journey.

 

[RussellSue]

On Thursday, a new doc told me that I appear to have hamstring origin tendonitis. I am not sure if this is related to the calcific tendinitis I had/have in my glute or not but it is causing me to rethink some things in my daily and exercise routine.

There's not much I can do about this rebuilding project I am about 75% finished with. I am in too deep and too broke to have someone else finish it. But we are supposed to relocate on the 15th and this will remove the flight of stairs from my life and slow down the home improvement projects, so some rest is in sight there.

I am going to cut down on my weighted leg raises for now but do my other hip and shoulder exercises the same TODAY. I am also going to roll around on the yoga ball for a while. I start PT on Wednesday, so I'm going to see what they have to say about hamstring exercises before I come up with my own new routine.

 

[RussellSue]

I may have just discovered something wonderful. It may have a name already but I am calling it text biking. Through some bizarre phenomenon, I found myself still pedaling away on my exercise bike after an hour because I had been texting back and fourth with my sister the whole time.

My sister doesn't use her exercise bike either and recently stopped running regularly due to stomach issues from the all the impact, so we scheduled two meet ups for this week for text biking. It's like a Sunday morning phone call but with a whole lot more limb activity. This could be pretty cool.