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Saturday, April 10, 2010

Second time at the gym

Today I went to the gym to do the set of exercises alone for the first time. It took me a total of 35 minutes.

I started with the recumbent bike. I set it at the same seat distance as last time but realized immediately that my left leg as a lot stiffer than it was last Thursday. Yesterday I did a very small hike but it was probably enough to set off that joint.

After about three minutes that knee seized up suddenly. It didn't actually "seize" but it went into a sudden sharp pain. I had to stop immediately. I pushed the seat back farther and tried again. That took care of the problem and felt good enough that I continued until I had done ten minutes on it, and I kept it at level 2. My workout calls for five minutes but of course ten is better if I can handle it.

Next was the rowing machine. I wasn't sure I chose the right machine but I think so. I did the fifteen reps slowly, cleaned it off and headed for the next. Next, lateral pulldowns. I pulled them down with my right hand to the level where I could grab with my left without pain. I noticed that I tended to use one arm or the other to do all the work sometimes. I think I need to be careful about using both evenly.

The last machine as the leg press. I had to push the seat all the way back to get my legs up there. I wasn't remembering exactly how to do it at first, but then it came back. I took it slowly and I think it went well too.

After the machines there was the window and wall, the arm stretches and the calf stretches. I found that 30 seconds was as much as I wanted to handle on all of those. Each of those, I should say.

I wasn't particularly sweaty but I took a shower and changed so I'd be presentable at Trader Joe's, where I wanted to pick up some groceries. The gym is very close to TJ's so it makes sense to schedule them together when I need to shop.

I feel good now. I think this is the right thing to be doing.

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