Geek Habitat

I attended PT today; it was my first “independent gym” session, meaning I show up at the clinic whenever I want (up to 2 or 3 times per week) and go through the exercises I’ve learned, as long as the equipment’s available. The PT’s work with their scheduled patients, and I just go with the flow and do my own workout on equipment I’d otherwise have to join a private gym to use.

Here’s my self-guided “independent gym” regimen from today:

• 10 minutes on the elliptical trainer: 5 minutes forward, then 5 minutes backward
• Hamstring curls on ball: 2 sets of 20
• Single (post-op) Leg Press on the Total Gym for ~4 minutes at incline level 10
• Dual Leg press on the Total Gym for ~4 minutes at level 10
• Ball (4lb.) toss into a trampoline, while balancing on an air-filled disc with the post-op leg: 2 sets of 30 {This remains challenging. I wobble all over the place and fall off after every 5 or 6 tosses!}
• Balancing Squats (Like wall squats, but with me balancing on a 1-foot-tall air-filled disc that requires constant balance checks to remain on it!): 10 repetitions of 10 seconds each
• Lunges on the Slide Board: 2 sets of 20
• Lateral Slides (full body) on the Slide Board: 3 minutes [while BRACED]
• Up on Two, Down on One: 2 sets of 20

I walked .5 miles before going to the PT clinic this morning — it was a convenient way of bleeding off some extra time, so I didn’t arrive when a fresh crop of scheduled patients arrived. It worked out perfectly — I didn’t get in anyone’s way, and I still got to do all of the exercises I’m used to doing in PT now. In fact, I even got to increase my time on the elliptical trainer from 8 minutes to 10 minutes since no one else was using it when I arrived. In the interest of my own sanity, I did omit my Motor Moron demonstration, however.

After PT, I walked another 2.14 miles before heading home. I planted the fourth and final red-tip photinia bush I purchased last week, and am currently waiting for Justin to arrive home from work so we can do a 2 to 2.5 mile walk together. If it weren’t for all the digging in our rocky, hard-packed clay soil, I’d probably throw in a session on the indoor rowing machine tonight, but I suspect my upper body has had it for the day. We’ll see! Tomorrow’s my work catch-up day; if I want to get another good workout in, it needs to happen today or it’ll have to wait until Friday after PT.

Next week, I’ll finally adjust back to working more days than I’m exercising… it’s been a long time coming, but it could’ve been worse!

9:40 PM Well, it’s back to R.I.C.E. (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) for a bit. I tweaked my knee this evening before my walk with Justin. I was wearing socks and my right foot slid on the kitchen floor when I pivoted too quickly. I managed to fall toward my right side, putting most of my weight on the right leg, but the left (post-op) knee and leg still got tweaked pretty good and my hamstrings on the left leg are hollering a bit. I managed to walk a little over 2 miles with Justin despite the torqued knee, making my total mileage for today 4.7 miles.

I’m beginning to get pissed off that every single incidence of knee injury or near-knee injury has occurred at home. Am I really that much of a klutz!?!