Interesting visit to the PT

[Crankin]

Yeah, Oak, I made a decision on some of the exercises. The paper Walter gave me says to do 2 sets of some of the exercises, but he never "told" me to do 2 sets. I know he copies this from a generic PT book and puts together an individualized program. So, I am just doing one set of each, except for one. There are a couple that only need to be done once a day.
Emily, when we went to Spain, the bike I had on the tour had a 25 on the rear. I don't know how I did some of those climbs on that, even in the granny. There were a couple I skipped because of this. I had a 25 for years, and then a couple of years after we moved to this neighborhood (the hill), I got a 27. Last year, it went to a 28. I really didn't need that, but my take on it is that I'd rather use easier gears as I age, as long as it enables me to keep riding!

[Wahine]

I'm glad to hear that your getting thins taken care of! That type of azz weakness is an epidemic in our sit-way-too-much society.

Here are some tips for making the exercises fit in your day a little better:
1) Treat them like a workout. Or even exchange them for a workout (like running).
2) Ask Walter if you can combine some exercises to cut your total time down. For example, I give an exercise that combines stretching the piriformis and quads at the same time, thereby cutting 2 exercises down to 1. I also have a strengthening exercise that combines hip abduction and exernal rotation.
3) Ask Walter to prioritze your exercises for you. There are going to be days when it will be impossible for you to get it all in and it's good to know what your 3 "Best bang for the buck" exercises are so that you can focus on getting at least those 3 done.

It's important that you give your PT feedback like, "This routine takes me 45 min to do and I don't really have that much time to do these consistently on a daily basis." Sometimes it's hard for us PTs to see past all the little things that we'd like to give you to do and remember that life still happens and time is not infinite. A good PT will help find the best comprimise between exercises that need to be done and life demands.

[Crankin]

Wahine, the sitting thing is indeed a major cause of my issues. In the past 6 years, I've gone from teaching, where I pretty much stood up all day, interspersed with some sitting, to being in school/internship, where it was a little problem, to now where I do therapy all day, drive all over to get to my clients. Then I sit at my computer or desk to do paperwork. This was not caused by any sports at all, but more a combination of things. I'll be cutting down my work hours over the next few weeks, which = less of the driving and sitting. My next job will be close to home and will not involve driving to clients.
I pretty much have prioritized the exercises from my session/discussion with him last week, but so far, I think it will work, except on Monday and Thursday, and then, I can combine some of them with my stretching after my class at the gym. I will be skipping that class on Thursday and Veteran's Day to give it a rest. Cycling doesn't bother it at all. It's just the next day, when I get up, it's there.

[tulip]

Crankin, it sounds like you are on a good path with your PT. I've noticed my lumbar region starting to ache again, and for me, I know exactly why. I have slacked off my Pilates for months, and it is catching up to me. I knew it would. Pilates works wonders for my back issues and relieves my too-much-sitting work habits.

I always point out to anyone who is considering Pilates that in my opinion it's extremely important to study with someone who is certified and experienced--and I don't mean the weekend certified "instructors" who work at most gyms, as in my experience they can do more harm than good. I do it on my own at home, but I studied at a classical Pilates studio for three years so I'm pretty confident in my abilities to do the movements correctly. Eventually I will want to advance so I'll go back to the studio for that.

[antimony]

If you are sitting a lot, have you ever tried a kneeling chair? Solved all of my lower back issues, although only helped a little for my neck/shoulders problems from sitting at a computer too much. The exercise balls as chairs work for a lot of people, too, and then you have one for workouts if you want it, but I don't like them as much.

[Crankin]

I've heard people say this before, Tulip, but Pilates has always hurt my back like crazy. Even with modifications. I tend to use yoga the way you use Pilatess and I have definitely slacked off on that.

[Crankin]

Antimony, I could do that at home, but not when I see my clients in their homes or at school. And definitely not at my office. I've been standing a lot more.

[Kathi]

I have ongoing SI joint issues and am back in PT for it. This time I think getting hit by a ski lift chair because the lift op didn't hold it set everything off. Anyway, 2 of my symptoms are painful sitting and low back pain. Stretching doesn't help at all and Pilates made me more painful. I haven't tried Pilates since my SI Joint issues were discovered although my current PT thinks it's probably ok. The last PT worked with me in getting more mobility in my spine due to a flat back. Now when I exercise my left glute gets very sore and painful. My current PT, and I agree, thinks I have an asymmetry in my hips. Yesterday, he had me doing RNT squats with a band. The way the are performed works individual hips. Yikes! my left side felt strong, confident and also reacted with some muscles soreness. The right side felt like a wet noodle and fatigued very quickly. My left side was still complaining when I got home. I know this sounds dumb, and to remember what I did, I repeated the exercises again on the right. The left side calmed down.
My point is you have to keep searching for answers. My last PT promised that getting more mobility in my spine would solve my problems. A year and half later spinal mobility created more problems and I'm having to continue my journey toward performing my activities without pain. I refuse to accept that being 65 causes my pain. Inappropriate posture, long time SI joint dysfunction, stressing it with activities that I didn't train appropriately for, in other words just living a full, active life contributed more to the issues than age does. As I read certain authors and learn about my body I'm accepting that this is a continuing journey that I will deal with as I age. I see my friends slowing down, stop living their passions, if they were passions, while I continue to learn, grow and thrive at my age. I have a friend who is 75, skis like a 30 year old, biked cross country at age 73, she was a newbie cyclist, and this year climbed Mt Kilajamaro. Who knows where her passions will lead her next and I plan to be just like her in 10 yrs in spite of my SI joint issues. Sorry for my rant but I know too many people, often younger than me, who give up their activities because of pain, back, knee, etc. and blame it on age.