Monday, April 26, 2010

Over did it...Now Paying the Price!

Oh well! They say that a good thing doesn't last forever and I guess it's true. In my last post I bragged about the 3.5mile walk in under 55 minutes and how great I felt. I also touted how this was the longest power walk I had done since way before the hip surgery...3 years ago! Well, that little walk, a couple weeks later, along with all the other exercise proved to be my undoing. Let me explain. First of all, here at Good Samaritan Hospital we have this wonderful wellness program every spring called "Strides for Life". Basically its a contest, where teams of 3 compete for the most points accumulated in exercise and weight loss. New this year is an EXTREME level where each person much complete a minimun of 375 minutes of exercies per week or they lose points. The contest started in March and runs until Memorial Day. Well that night of the walk, my aquatics class was cancelled due to the water main break Towson area was experiencing so I panicked wondering how I was going to get my needed 60 minutes of fitness in...so I grabbed my husband ans told him we were taking a power walk for an hour. That walk was absolutely too much on my hip bursa with all of that repetitive motion, for an hour along with all the the other exercise stress I was putting on myself so now I have bursitis, tendonitis and my I-T band (ileotibial band) is all inflammed. The pain is quite intense, so I am back on celebrex, had a cortisone shot in my bursa last friday and am scheduling some Physical Therapy sessions for pain and to learn what exercises I can/cannot do. So, suffice it to say my glorious bionic hip replacement bubble has been busted (only temporary though), and I have to scale back a bit. I am still exercising but at a more mild/moderate level and will continue to do so unless medically contraindicated. I want to stay in shape and of course, stay in the Strides competition. Oh...did I mention MY TEAM IS IN FIRST PLACE!!!!!

Friday, April 9, 2010

New Hip Record!

I am so happy to blog that this past week I did an awesome power walk of 3.5 miles in 55 minutes after work on a gorgeous summer-like day in April! What's the big deal with this is that this is the longest and fastest I have fitness walked with my new hip replacement! I know folks get tired of hearing it out there, but this new hip NEVER DISSAPOINTS!
And the next day, I was only a little stiff with the right hip (which is my natural hip)!

Monday, April 5, 2010

Ahhh! Spring--Achey Joints Anyone!

What a gorgeous Easter weekend-being outside, riding with the car windows wide open and feeling the breeze across my bare arms and legs! Its been a long winter. The barometric pressure sure is changing and I sure can feel it in my joints. Anyone else feel the same thing? It makes sense though...our joints are held together by gravity and atmospheric pressure so it stands to reason that when the pressure shifts our joints respond via achiness and stiffness. Well for me the best thing to do it get them moving, with a good balance rest in between...and don't forget heat/cold therapy whichever feels best. Don't ever put heat on an inflamed, red joint...it will only make it worse. Great time of year to ride a bike (not painful at all as long as you're on a cruisier and your torse is upright and hands are positioned correctly); take a walk, with periods of rest of course. And last but not least swimming-that's the best type of fitness one can do with achey joints. Are there any other helpful hints out there for staying fit while managing your arthritis?

Ahhh! Spring--What to do..what to do!?!?

What a lovely Easter weekend! Got to see the family and enjoy the entire afternoon on the deck! Never can I remember welcoming spring as much as this year. I'm really sensitive to the warm breeze on my face and bare arms, both of which were covered for what seemed forever! Its nice to smell the fresh air flow through my house and ride with the car windors down. I'm reminiscent of last year recovering from my hip replacement down the beach during the dreariest dark days of any spring I have ever live through. Oh well, if you think about it, better to be laid up recovering while the weather is crappy, than during gorgeous sunny weather. What's in store for this spring with my new hip?? Working hard to get in better shape and shed some pounds so my arthritic right knee doesn't hurt. Its funny how the barometric pressure changes, and winter is replaced by spring my joints hurt! Its really true--our joints are held together by gravity and the atmospheric pressure so when it does shift our joint respond by achiness and stiffness. Anyone else