Adjusting during travel

I was lucky. The Henderson Multigenerational Center's fitness room has quite an array of weight machines, and I was able to substitute for two out of the three I normally use. The lat pulldown machine did not work for me with my shoulder as it is because I would have to open my arm too wide, which I can't do just yet. So I was able to do most of my regular little workout here.

I hoped to be able to do a water workout too but it's been really busy and that has not happened and I don't expect it will. There is turmoil among family members, various crises, and I am here too short a time to do everything.

The pain continued yesterday. Last night I drugged myself again with acetaminophen pm, and I think that has taken the edge off the pain today. I don't like taking any drugs for this but there do come times when it seems the right thing to do. I'll get through this and hope in the right direction.

The pain continues

I am in Las Vegas today. I drove here yesterday. I was still in a lot of pain in my knees and shoulder, also often my hip (all of it, in other words), so that when I stopped to rest it was hard for me to get out of the car. It didn't feel good, seeming so incapacitated. I am hoping that this is one of those cases where it gets worse before it gets better.

I am dressed for the gym. I am going to the Henderson multigenerational facility to use the bike and weight machines. I don't know what weight machines they have and if I can adjust them to do the things I normally do (row, pull-down, leg press), so we'll see. It's a bit frustrating to have to be away from my gym so soon after I started.

the day after second aqua

No cramps last night, and good sleep (for me; trip to the bathroom just once, and moving to accommodate cat from time to time). I went to the gym for the little workout today and found my knees quite hurting. Getting up and down from the lower seats was painful. Ah well. Can't have everything. It's raining today - I have found no correlation between weather and arthritis but maybe there is something.

I increased the row weight from 50 to 65 pounds.

Now that's what I'm talkin' 'bout

Today I did my second aqua class. Much larger class this time, different teacher, named Karey. Somewhere between a dozen and 20 people, which at times meant I ran into others. We have two long lanes but we can’t spread the whole length because of the differences in depth and because we then would not hear the teacher.

Karey led us through a different set of aerobic exercises and I liked them better than last Friday’s. I felt they were really getting something done and I was having less pain. When we were done I knew I’d done something, yet...I wasn’t as tired as I was last time, or even as tired as I was yesterday.

I took a shower, changed, and knew I was feeling good! Not all better, no pain or anything, but wooo! So much better. I felt stronger and stretched out and in less pain. It seems like a turning point.

I met a couple of fellow passengers this time, both in the locker room and in the pool. I asked about a class a couple of them also take, called “Active”, and they said you do what you can in there, whatever shape you are in. So I figure I am going to give that one a try too.

pain and suffering

I'll admit it: I indulge in self-pity from time to time. Probably more than I have a right to. I certainly indulged yesterday.

I woke achey and in pain. My right hip - thigh was hurting, my left calf was feeling that weird arthritis tension and translates into discomfort when standing or walking, my left arm, upper, hurt no matter what I did. I was also not feeling terrifically energetic. I didn't feel much like doing anything.

Nevertheless, I did go do my little workout. I want to be sure this workout stays relatively small or I will start skipping it, is what I suspect. I did the same as Friday, 10 minutes at level 3 on the bike, 50# on the row, 50# on the lat pulldowns, 120# on the leg press. I think I can increase the lat pulldowns next time. Just a wee bit. I am still using my right hand to bring it down to where I can grasp it with my left without pain.

I left the gym not really any more energetic than before. I did some errands, including going to the farmers' market that takes place in the parking lot right there at the gym, and came home to vegetate. As the day wore on I got up a few times to do this or that and felt better toward the end of the day than I had at the beginning. But I felt sleepy and went to bed early. This isn't such a wonderful idea in general - I woke several times, read, went back to sleep. I am sure I got enough sleep but I think it would be better if I kept myself up longer to begin with.

Today I will be doing the aqua workout for the second time. I got myself some water shoes and sunscreen so will be better prepared. I don't feel like I have the energy for it, but I will just do it.

a night and a day

Last night, night after my first water workout, I had no cramps. I did have restless legs for a while, but ultimately I fell rather soundly asleep. I usually wake a few times and sometimes end up reading a bit, and last night was no exception, but overall I got plenty of sleep.

Today I went back to the gym to do my regular little workout. Ten minutes at level 3 on the bike, and the others the same as last time. This time I headed for the steam room afterwards. I had been feeling not all that energetic and quite stiff, and I thought the steam might be helpful. It did feel good, the hot white cloud obliterating all vision, a bit frightening actually.

After completing a few errands I came home and lay around, feeling stiff, tired, and achey. I took a bit of a nap in the middle of the day.

I am now still stiff, achey, tired. I may just turn in soon. Tomorrow I will not go to the gym.

It has been just over a week now.

Another workout, another two nights, and water

The night before last I had another episode of tightness and pain in my calf, but this time my left calf, again around the ankle. It wasn't as severe as the one the night before and I was able to relax it enough to get back to sleep without heading for the shower. I did get up, limp into the bathroom, and back, and was able to handle the weight on that foot.

Yesterday I did another workout, my fourth and last of my four free passes at the gym. I did the bike ten minutes at level 3, handled it well. I upped the rows to 50 pounds from 35. The rest stayed the same. As I was reaching to grab the lat pulldown handle with my left hand (I had already pulled it partway with my right) I wrenched that arm and it hurt like blazes. But it eased off and I was able to finish the reps. All good.

After showering I headed for the membership desk and paid for a membership for a year ahead. I felt good about the decision, about doing this for myself, and good about my prospects.

And now that I am a member I got to thinking what else I might want to do. Today I took an aqua class. I had done a few of these in a former gym a few years back and felt unsteady on my feet, not all that comfortable with it. But I thought I'd give it another try. This class was a full hour long and was run much as a typical aerobics class is, with cardio, then weights, then stretches, with the difference that we were mostly underwater and using foam "weights" and noodles. There are some times when I felt twinges in my left knee in particular, and near the end I couldn't raise my left arm, of course, for a stretch, but I did what I could, which was a lot. I will need to bring sunscreen next time because it's outdoors.

Overall I am finding that I am stiffer. Stiffer when I get up in the morning, stiffer after exercise, before exercise, generally stiffer. I suspect that this stiffness will ease off and I will start to loosen a little over time.