Geek Habitat

I mistimed my arrival to the PT clinic today, coinciding with their lunch hour, so I rushed through my exercises as best I could as a courtesy to the one PT (Gentle Bob!) whom I’d just trapped in the clinic.

Here’s my abbreviated independent PT routine for today:

• 11 minutes on the elliptical trainer: 7 minutes forward, faster than I’ve ever used it before; 4 minutes backwards at my normal pace.
• 8 minutes on the Total Gym: 2 minutes double leg presses, 6 minutes single leg press
• Lunges on the slideboard: 2 sets of 20
• Ball toss at trampoline, while balancing on Dynadisc: 2 sets of 30
• Hamstring curls w/ball: 2 sets of 20 (Hamstring must be getting stronger — these went a lot faster/easier than ever!)
• Squats on tall inflated disc: 10 for 10 seconds

I was going to do lateral slides on the slideboard, but I forgot my hinged brace so that exercise was out anyway.

I’ve also walked 3.13 miles, and hope to grab another 2 miles or so if the skies won’t open up and soak me this afternoon (possibility of thunderstorms in the area.)

I tried to resume my indoor rowing machine workout last night but had issues — I really needed to have warmed up my legs prior to the session, but since I didn’t my post-op knee was unhappy with the flexion required. I’ll try again this evening after some leg lifts and flexion work.

8:45 PM — I did 30 minutes on our Concept 2 indoor rowing machine this evening. Ironically, my upper body felt terrific (I could’ve easily gone another 30 minutes, if I’d had the time), but both knees hollered a bit when they reached full flexion with each stroke. The fact that I resumed the Total Gym and elliptical today after 7 days off and then hopped on the indoor rower this evening is probably the cause of the knee pain. The pain ceases immediately when the exercise ceases, so s’all good.

Speaking of our rowing machine, I’ve been drooling over the new “Model D” of the Concept 2 indoor rower, and this evening I discovered in two primary respects we can upgrade/retrofit our Model C rower with some of the new model’s features: ergonomic handle ($15) and the PM3 monitor ($145 with PM2 trade-in). I’m also inclined to purchase a heart rate monitor and receiver at some point. Knowing I’m reaching my optimal exercise heart rate would be ideal, especially if we splurged and got a monitor that could also be used when walking, bicycling, hiking or working out at the gym.