There's a country song that says it all: I'm too young to be so damn old. Slowly I remember what I've already been taught (and may have mentioned here earlier) to keep me strong or make me stronger.
In rehab: they showed me little girly two-pound dumbbells. I bought some. Pink. And bought three-pounders, metal. I'm amazed at how heavy the three-pounders feel. (This from a woman who used to use 12-pounders.)
And I feel a need to support my back when I work with these, so into my Posture chair (It's just a cheap AGEN wicker chair from IKEA that lets me support almost my whole back.) If only weights didn't interfere with reading my Robert B. Parker and other mysteries.
If you and your surgeon have a weekly squash date, you probably won't need to read the rest of this. Probably.
Now for the usual caution: ask your Doctor first. Always. Really.
In home visits: the visiting therapists showed me exercises I could do in bed. There's a bed right here! After months of just walking, I finally started doing those lying-down ones again: Do ten and relax.
move one leg to the side and back (I keep the other knee bent.) Change legs. You can also do this one in a chair with an ottoman for your legs. Or standing with straight back and your hands on the bathroom vanity.)
Press back of knee firmly into mattress, relax, do 10. Change legs.
Press both buns together 10 times. (The official physical therapist name for this is Butt Squeeze.)
Straighten one leg, then press heel into mattress as you move foot close to your body, straighten, repeat. Ten for each leg.
This one helps a lot to relieve morning pain in my left leg.
The home therapists made me repeat the whole sequence again.
The doctor told me to stretch when I get out of bed, so I just stand up and reach for the sky.
More reprise on the cute dumbbells later. And a bonus if I get into the swimming class.
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