Let's get physical!

(Sadly these fantastic pants were only available in small!)

Last Thursday I didn't make it to the pool for various reasons (work, meetings, late night viewing of Speed Racer, etc.) and had a real rough time of it this weekend. I sat down after work and grocery shopping Saturday night and just couldn't bring myself to get up again. The thought occurred to me that maybe obsessively pushing myself in the pool twice a week, increasing reps and resistance might actually be making things worse. Today I'm going to scale back a bit, and focus more on stretching. I spent a lot of time cleaning my place yesterday and managed to jack myself up pretty good with the dastardly vacuum. It'll be nice to be warm and buoyant for awhile.

Here's my regular pool routine, for those of you who're interested. The order of exercises is flexible, depending on where most of the pool traffic is at the time - it takes me about 75-90 minutes altogether. I can't advocate aquatic therapy enough! Oh, and remember to "tighten the belly and tuck the butt" (my PT's mantra) in all scenarios. :)

* 10-15 minutes walking the width of the pool, including walking on heels and toes, as well as this knee-swingy manuever I can't quite describe
* 1-minute each stretches with leg parallel to the floor, floaty noodle under the heel
* 1-minute each stretches with leg bent and floaty noodle under foot behind you
* 90-second calf stretch, with heels hanging off the first stair
* 10-15 steps up with right leg leading, 10-15 with left leg leading
* 10-15 steps down with right leg leading, 10-15 with left
* 1-minute balance on one leg with arms folded across chest (bonus: try closing your eyes!)
* 10 squats standing on left leg, 10 standing on right, arms crossed
* 10 toe-raises standing on left leg, 10 standing on right, arms crossed
* 3 minutes sitting on a kick board in the deep end with a floaty belt on, arms crossed (this is MUCH harder than it sounds!)
* 2 minutes "toes dry" with float belt and float collar (kind of hard to picture - basically a crunch pose but easier on your back with the floatiness and all)
* 10-15 reps "toes dry" crunches, both legs at once
* 10-15 reps alternating single legs, "toes dry"
* 3 minutes on the chair with flippers, raising alternating legs from bent to straight
* 3 minutes on the chair with flippers, flippering with legs parallel to the ground
* 3 minutes on the chair opening and closing legs parallel to the ground with these wretched fan things that attach to your ankles and make a ton of resistance (sadly I cannot find a photo online)
* Usually last I put on the floaty belt and either ankle floats or the badass caterpillar boots (depending on how sore I am already!) and head to the deep end with my barbell floats for 15 minutes each of jogging and skiing. Three times (first, in between and last) I do a 1-minute jesus float (probably not the technical name) and 1 minute of swinging my legs back and forth with the floats still on the surface of the water. Both of these manuevers make my spine feel better than anything else I can do for it, and the swinging stretches my sides/top of the hip in a way I cannot duplicate on land. When I made my surgery decision I added the barbell floats to my jogging and skiing, trying to replicate the crutching motion under water while working against the floats' resistance. I'm happy to report I already have slightly-less-shameful biceps (see example below). heh heh



Oooh and Friday I found a pair of Danskos in my size for 22 DOLLARS at the consignment shop in town. Score!

PS I had a 45 of Olivia Newton John's classic when I was a child that I used to rock repeatedly on my Sesame Street record player. And does anyone else remember Get in Shape Girl? I wanted that one with the ribbon on a stick SO bad! My mom got me the one with ankle weights. BOOO!