Sunday, November 25, 2012

The Workout Experiment: Day 1

I suffer from chronic back, knee, and hip pain. Even more frightening, it's been getting steadily worse, and increasingly limiting to my day-to-day activities over the past year or so. It's gotten to the point that I can't go to an amusement park or museum, can't go shopping unless there is an electric courtesy cart, can't do SO MANY THINGS. A couple of weeks ago, I reached a crisis point. I was tired of being in pain all the time, terrified of the speed at which it was getting worse, and desperate to figure out what to do about it.

So I dragged my fiance to a local sports equipment shop that carries second-hand and consignment exercise machines. Amazingly, they were far more affordable than I'd thought, and we found one we really liked AND that would fit in the small available corner of our living room. Sold! It was delivered last Tuesday, but with the craziness of getting ready for Turkey Day and then being out of town, today was Day 1.

I've decided to chronicle my efforts, for several reasons. 1) so that I can look back and see how much progress I've made, 2) in hopes that sharing my efforts and getting cheered on by my community will help keep me motivated, and 3) because I believe it's important that we all serve as role models for each other in honoring where we are and celebrating our efforts... even if - perhaps especially if - we're afraid that we'll be judged that our efforts aren't good enough, or afraid of revealing our "shame" at how small our abilities/accomplishments are at first. So, without further ado....

Day 1: I walked on the elliptical for 1 minute, 35 seconds at the lowest resistance and slowest speed I could do while still getting the pedals going in a rhythm. At the end of that time, I was breathing hard enough to be uncomfortable and could definitely "feel the burn" - particularly in the front part of my thighs. Happily, neither my back nor my knees were uncomfortable. When I stepped off the machine, I did feel a little unsteady on my feet and needed to sit down. But recovery was fairly fast. Given that I have little/no experience of exercise since middle school PE torture, I don't feel well calibrated as to how I'm supposed to feel and how far I'm supposed to push myself, so I'm erring on the side of caution. Nothing's more likely to dis-incentivize me to keep up this project than pushing myself too hard and ending up in a bunch of pain.

So there ya go. Day 1. Go me! :)

22 comments:

  1. Habits first, then work on speed & whatnot :-) That's the best part of home workout equipment...you can do it in as small chunks as you want without feeling like you wasted a drive to the gym!

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    1. Thanks tons, Casey! Comments are appreciated... I am very motivated by the positive thoughts from others!!

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  2. Every little bit helps! I have friends who run marathons and whatnot and I say, "I could never do that". But then I take one day at a time and do a little bicycling each day (still not training for a marathon). In a few months your endurance will be up and you'll be so proud of yourself. Just push yourself a little more each day. :) You can do it!
    Sidenote: I have heard from lots of folks with chronic back pain that exercise really helps them keep it under control, and they are often able to cut back on their pain meds.

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    1. Thanks for the encouragement (and for the side note - it gives me hope)!

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  3. Go, Amanda!!! Woo!!!

    A few random thoughts:

    * I've had two different rounds of reconstructive spinal surgeries that put me on my back for three to six months afterwards, at which point my muscles were pretty well atrophied, and I had to rebuild up the stamina to walk a few houses down the block. And the most important thing is, as you realize, not to push yourself to do more early on, but to just get in the habit of getting a little exercise every day. Doesn't have to be long; you just have to do it. And, don't do any more than you're doing until your body tells you "Hey, you can go for another 60 seconds" or whatever. And, GENTLE exercise really does help with back and knee pain as well as improve stamina, which means you've started on the path to shopping malls and amusement parks. :)

    * Although I generally roll my eyes at motivational methods, and at Jerry Seinfeld in general, his "Don't Break the Chain Method" (http://lifehacker.com/281626/jerry-seinfelds-productivity-secret) is a decent way to show yourself your progress and motivate you to keep it going. My daughter and I both used the method for Nanowrimo and it was pretty helpful, at least to remind us to do something. I also built in a reward system for X number of uninterrupted days. Disclaimer: I'm not recommending this; I'm just saying that this kind of thing works for some people.

    * Hey, doesn't this count toward the third HAES principle about moving your body and being more physically vital?

    Nothing but positive thoughts,
    Elissa

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    1. Thanks, Elissa - so appreciate the feedback that I'm doing it "right" to take things slowly - I always wonder/worry that I'm doing it wrong... seems to be my default setting, especially for exercise stuffs, about which I'm nervous/insecure/worried in general!

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  4. Major accomplishment! Go you! Totally get where you're coming from. It does get easier, trust me. I'm breathless after one flight of stairs, but I keep going. I've seen results after only a few weeks. I have more stamina and legs feeling stronger. You can do it!!

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    1. Woo... can't wait for that more stamina feeling!

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  5. Even though Anna Marie and I have been walking for nearly 5 years now, we still congratulate ourselves every single time we walk. If you're not a natural exerciser, you have to keep reminding yourself how awesome you are for doing it anyway. So go, you!

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    1. Thanks :)

      I appreciate the thought about being "not a natural exerciser" - I shall incorporate that into my thinking....

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  6. Woo Amanda! Good job! Every minute is a step towards a healthier happier existence. You can do it!

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  7. Great start....More than increasing the speed and time, getting into a rythm of doing it on a regular basis is important...but I found that if you do a few more seconds than what you did the previous time not only boosts up the confidence but also increases stamina one day at a time...Great job Amanda...Use your support group to continue this. Get your fiance (or a buddy) to do it with you. Its a great way motivate each other especially on days you just dont feel like doing it.

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    1. I think I'll take Elissa's suggestion (above) about doing some sort of visual tracking on a calendar. She's right... that can be very motivating!

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  8. Awesome! Just starting anything is often my biggest hurdle. I would also recommend Cinder Ernst's healthy knees class/teleclass. It's helped me a bit, along with acupuncture. *Hugs*

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    1. So true... Cinder is amazing! Would love to hear more about your experience with acupuncture. I've tried it a couple of times but fail to feel any concrete outcomes which makes it hard to stay motivated.

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  9. You rock! Keep it up. :) I am planning on starting to take care of my body too. Tired of being in pain. I will use your journey as motivation to begin my own. Thank you!

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    1. Glad you feel inspired! Take motivation wherever it comes. Wanna be FB or email buddies and check in a couple times a week to keep each other motivated? I started a FB group for blogging and it's seriously helped my output!

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  10. just wanted to say good luck! the first time i ever used the elliptical i thought i was going to die and made it like 3 minutes...it feels so hard at first but if you stick with it it gets much easier. it's my favorite form of exercise in a gym, and so good for your knees! good choice.

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  11. Just stumbled upon your blog, so I'm sorry if I'm not up to speed with everything you've done so far. It's awesome you are focusing on your health, well done!
    Some things that may help... don't compare yourself to athletes just yet, everyone has to start somewhere and as long as you do what you can each day you're a winner.
    It can be hard to get started with exercise if you haven't done it much and have pain/injuries. It could be a good idea to see a physiotherapist or even a personal trainer if you have access to them and enough money. They might be able to suggest strengthening exercises or stretching to help with whichever muscles are contributing to your pain. The elliptical is great too though.
    Go girl!

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