So I had back surgery, last Spring in May 2015, just 4 months ago and I have been asked to have total knee replacement in March of 2016. I tell you what, that’s a lot to crunch on and absorb. I am a tad worried about how my two little 5 year olds will manage. It’s just so much for them to get through in such a short period of time.
In the next several months, in between the two surgeries, I will be exercising to strengthen my core muscles and my quadriceps. In common parlance, I need to strengthen my back and thighs to help the benefits of the back surgery to come to fruition and I need to strengthen the same muscle groups in order to prepare for the total knee replacement.
This morning, I met the physical therapist, Michelle Hribrar, otherwise known as Mickey, at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation’s Sports Medicine department. Mickey was friendly, compassionate, and very knowledgeable. She didn’t miss a beat. I’ve been through physical therapy a several times already. Mickey is a keeper!
I did the typical, and filled out a few assessments, told her some of my story and then she got to work assessing strength and range of motion, and presenting a few exercises for me to start with immediately. The thing that is so amazing about physical therapists is they are just so good at isolating muscle groups and know just what to tell you to do to strengthen what is not working properly.
Moreover, she gave me hope. Mickey reminded me that I am only 4 months out of my back surgery and the body takes at least a year to heal from a surgery such as this. I still cannot walk the way I want to walk, or the distance that I want to cover, but Mickey thinks it will come with time.
So my plan is to continue walking around the block 5 days a week. Do my physical therapy exercises daily and start back at the JCC swimming or more likely moving through the water with the purpose of gently moving my muscles and toning up my core, my gluts, and my quads! I hope to get to the JCC 2 – 3 times each week, likely directly after physical therapy, which should be two times a week.
So that’s my plan. What is up with you? Do you need help too? Can you possibly arrange to see a physical therapist or chiropractor or personal trainer? Or do you want to go it alone? The point is to get moving. When you are behind the proverbial eight ball, you have to start somewhere to pull yourself together.
Why not create a plan that you can stick to today to move a bit more? Can you take the stairs instead of the elevator? Can you park farther away at the office? Can you walk to the corner? You know what your limitations are. You are the expert on you! Can you just reach a little further than you have been? What is one thing you can do, starting today, that would be a symbol of the fact that you have chosen to stop this freight train toward decreasing mobility and diminished quality of life?
Do you have a Fitbit? Do you know what a Fitbit is? A Fitbit is a piece of wearable technology, which can clip to your clothing or be worn like a watch. A Fitbit is an activity tracker that will give you a variety of personal data, like how many steps you’ve taken today, stairs you’ve climbed, and calories you have burned. It can also measure the quantity and quality of sleep you’ve had. A Fitbit can link to the Fitbit website and be used to record food intake, heart rate, blood pressure, and glucose levels.
Are you willing to invest in one? A Fitbit just might be the gadget you need to help you to become more in tune with your body and more on track regarding your fitness goals!
Gadgets not your thing? That’s okay, you can get where you are going, without all this information. It’s totally been done before! Fitbits are just one of the new items out helping people to attain their wellness goals. You can totally go it alone, and do a low tech program!
What are you willing to do to move yourself back in the direction of health? Go ahead give it a try. I swear you don’t even need a professional to get started. Just take one small step. Commit to it and then make it a habit! Then in a few weeks you can consider another one!
Why not take some time to flesh it out with paper and pencil, or should I say finger and tablet? Take a few minutes to create a roadmap for yourself. Write down five or six things that you would implement right now, if you knew, with absolute certainty, that they would become a reality.
Put a star next to the two items you feel are most pressing. Circle the one you are willing to commit to in the next week. Start today, if you think you can swing it. Get out your calendar and pencil in, when you will begin work on the second goal. Time is of the essence! Don’t let the day, the week, or the month get away from you! And don’t forget to move it!
Lisa J Lafave, PhD, MBA, ACC
The Wellness Coach at Building Better Bodies Rocks
CEO & Founder of Coaching Rocks, LLC
A Single Mom By Choice Raising Twin Boys
Written in My Little Brick in University Hts, Ohio
Leap Into Action!