Interesting visit to the PT

[Crankin]

So, I finally went back to see Walter, the MacKenzie PT I've been seeing on and off for 2 years. My lumbar region is just giving me a hard time, as well as other various areas of stiffness and pain.
After reviewing the exercises I've been doing, per his previous orders, and his testing of my strength, he determined that I have extremely weak glutes and my piriformis is weak, too. He said my quads and hip flexors are wicked strong, and this is putting a strain on my lumbar region. I know this is a typical cyclist problem, but it does explain why I have trouble standing when I ride; it tires me so much that it's hard for me to see why people do this to get up a hill!
So, I have a whole new set of things to do 2x a day, in the hope that after 12 years, I can actually strengthen these areas. He delightfully told me that some of my morning stiffness is "normal age related stuff," without insulting me. Running is off of my plate, maybe forever, but at least until I can work on this.
Walter is the only medically related professional that treats me like an athlete, and not like an old person.
My DH was amused when I told him that I need to work on my azz muscles.

[Catrin]

Crankin - glad you got to see your PT! Sorry to read you can't run right now, but perhaps this will make you stronger in the future. Have fun working on those azz muscles

[OakLeaf]

Good luck - hope the pain resolves very soon!

[Crankin]

Oy, it took me 35 minutes to do all the stretches. I don't have to work today, but I am trying to figure out how I am going to do this on M, T, TH, when I am very busy and I go to the gym early AM on 2 of those days. Some of the things i only need to do once a day, but some need to be done twice. A few can be squeezed in before/after my class on Monday and Thursday.
I could make a career out of keeping myself in shape.

[DebSP]

What does that pay? LOL. I hope you don't get stressed out trying to fit everything in. Feel better soon.

[emily_in_nc]

Sounds like a productive visit, but I know that PT "homework" can be a bear to do. I always start out all motivated and then start slacking over time...

Another reason standing to climb tires you is because you're bearing your body weight -- I believe I've read it's something like 25% more effort (maybe more) than seated climbing. So it's not just muscular. I can only do it for short periods of time, but with the way my Trek is geared (12-25 in the back, higher than any bike I've had in decades), I end up standing more than I'd like to avoid having to use my granny gear.

Good luck with the PT!

[Crankin]

I don't avoid the granny gear. It kind of depends on the ride, though. I've had to use it for smaller hills I usually do in the middle ring on my Kuota, so as not to aggravate my back. Climbing does do that. I also have a 12-28 on the rear. I have a compact with mountain gearing on the back on my Guru, so if I'm in the small ring, who cares? I have to change gears a lot more on the compact, while I can be mostly in the middle on my Kuota. But, I do live in a hilly area.
Today I used the Kuota for my metric ride to celebrate my birthday. We were in towns I rarely ride in, and did lots of neighborhood hills, some up to 5-8% grades. My back started in at about 20 miles, but, it was nothing horrible. After I stretched, it's fine.

[OakLeaf]

Funny ... standing doesn't bother my back, climbing while seated can ... different injuries, different bikes, different bodies.

I was having the same conversation with my LMT the other day. She gives me at least one new stretch every visit. So does my DO. Add all the exercises I have from the PT and the DC and it would literally be a full time job. I do the ones that seem to help and slack on the rest.

[emily_in_nc]

Don't get me wrong -- I am happy for and do use my granny gear on steeper climbs. But there are some hills around here that are either short, and I can power over pretty quickly if I just stand; or long and slow, but not too steep, where I just don't want to have to shift up twice in back to get to where I can shift to my granny. I'm stubborn that way.

My MTB, which I also do urban rides on often around here, is obviously geared much lower, so staying in the middle ring most of the time is not even an issue. But on my roadie, I do have to work a bit harder to stay there.