Last week I visited the physical therapist twice for help with my knees and my foot. I was very much looking forward to the foot massages. In the first visit, the therapist gave me simple exercises to do 30 times before I stood up or got out of bed, if I had been in position for 15 minutes. Of course, I did not remember to do them most times that I stood up, but I tried. He also gave me local anti-inflammatory medication by ionization. In with positive ions, drawn through my foot with negative ions. Sounds like sci fi fantasy to me. My foot rejected the medication or the ions, and the machine turned itself off about every 2 minutes, so the therapist's helpers were kept busy trotting back into my room at the sound of the beeps to turn it on until the 10 minute procedure finished. No foot massage that day.
The next day, I had the medication ionization again, and my foot still rejected it and caused the machine to turn off about every two minutes. After that, I did have the foot massage, but it was not quite what I expected, just a small vibrator rolling over my heel and arch, but not my whole foot, and no caressing hands all over my feet. Dr. Prophet told me that the therapist loved feet, and I was expecting a bit more, you know.
Then, he put me to work in the gym area, riding the stationary bike, which I did when I was going to the gym. Then on to the chair that looks somewhat like an electric chair to do push up and pull back with my ankles on the padded bars. Then on to the slanted rack to do push out straight and relax with bent knees. All in all a good, but not killing, workout.
I coulda, shoulda, but wasn't doing any of the knee-strengthening exercises, except the bike, back when I was going to the gym, before Chesty (her real name) threw me out. Looking back, I could have done much more for myself if I'd had the will and foreseen the future.
Do you wonder why I got thrown out of the gym? First of all, I didn't like going there. All the TV screens were tuned to awful shows, and even if I had my headphones, the damn screens were there. And then, there were a couple of preening men, very much in love with themselves and deluded by the notion that all the ladies were as in love with their buff bods as they were. They showed off as though they were performing on stage.
A little clique of the female contingent of the "beautiful people" of Thibodaux, aspiring to be the high society of our little city, were there regularly. I'd met them and been with them at parties, and they were friendly enough, but when I'd see them at the gym, they did not even greet me, not even a "Hello". Look, if you're going to shun me, at least be consistent in your shunning. That sort of on-off behavior throws me way off balance. OK, that's why I didn't like going there.
After I'd been going to the gym for a couple of years, when I went to pay for my next three months, Chesty handed me a sheet to sign promising not to sue them in the event of an accident, even if the accident was due to their faulty equipment. I have never sued anyone in my life, but that seemed to be going too far. I suspected that the paper was worthless in the event of an accident due to faulty equipment, if it could be demonstrated that they were negligent in maintaining the equipment, but, nevertheless, I decided that I was not going to sign it.
I took the sheet home and asked around, only to find that not everyone had been asked to sign the paper. Next time I went, I handed the paper back to Chesty and said that I would not sign. I told her that not everyone had been given the paper. She said, "Oh yes they have, and you won't be able to come back without signing the sheet." I asked her if she was discriminating due to my age, because that would be wrong, and she said, "Oh no!"
Anyway that was the end of the gym. I didn't fight Chesty, because I was sick of the place anyway. I tried another one for a while, an all woman gym, where, at least, I would not have to watch the preening men, but I came to the conclusion that I just don't like gyms.
My foot and knee feel much better already. I will have six weeks of therapy three days a week. What I'll do to after that to keep what I will gain, I have no idea.
I share your views entirely, Grandmere I, also, can't abide gyms for all the same, primarily visual reasons.
ReplyDeleteBut with four large dogs that have to be exercised, a young daughter, plus my love of hiking and paddling kayaks - I feel that the Lord has already given me a gym in creation!
RR, I love walking, and I missed it terribly during the time when I wasn't able to. I'm back to walking now, but I'm still not able to go the same distance as before. Our land is so flat that walking does not build strength in the knees at all.
ReplyDeleteI love to be outside exercising, admiring God's creation at the same time, and the thought of going back to the gym is not attractive, but I fear I will have to do it.
Glad you are feeling better. I have never gone to a gym. Probably you an tell that after one look at my body. Also think a good walk in God's free fresh air is much better.
ReplyDeleteMy experiences in gyms are similar to yours. Besides the annoyances, it's all a lot of boring mindless gerbil activity anyway.
ReplyDeleteI was never particularly athletic, and my work is not physically demanding. What is demanding is all the commuting I do to all these institutions where I teach.
My favorite exercise is walking from my apartment in Brooklyn to my studio on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, about 2.5 to 3 miles. I go through 2 lovely parks, past a big old Polish church, and an even bigger old Russian Orthodox Church (complete with onion domes), over the Williamsburg Bridge with a magnificent view up and down the East River, and to my studio. We've been very fortunate with the weather this summer, so I've been making that trip a lot.
I've never had a gym membership, so I have nothing to compare. I have a "smith gym" and a treadmill in the garage, that I use faithfully, since my work as a speech-language pathologist is not very physically demanding. So, I amuse myself by asking my husband "Do you come here often," when he walks through my exercise spot to get clean underwear out of the dryer.
ReplyDeleteKeep up the PT. The toughest part is when you're responsible for doing it on your own.
Brian, me too.
ReplyDeleteCounterlight, the subway steps give you your knee exercises. Your walk to your studio sounds lovely.
KJ, I know that they're good for you, but I find the machines boring. But please don't stop your exercising on my account.
Grandmere,
ReplyDeleteTry finding a reputable massage therapist. It does a body wonders and the foot massage is heavenly. I go everyother week just to get the kinks worked out. It's great!!
Grandmere --I confess, last week I joined a gym. But it has a great jacuzzi and steam room --and those make it all worth it. It also has a great pool --which is excellent for strength and flexibility. So I hear anyway.
ReplyDeleteHope you find the right exercise for you.
Suzanne, a massage therapist sounds wonderful. I'll look into that.
ReplyDeleteMargaret, I'll probably end up joining again, but we have nothing so luxurious as yours in my small town.
Oh that's too funny! Been going to a local Lifetime Fitness for the last month or so, trying to get the ol' middle-age spare tire under control, and noticed the same thing.
ReplyDeletePlano is a very upper-middle class suburb, and lots of the "beautiful people" (esp. of the "trophy wife" sort) apparently have an inordinate amount of time to spend at the gym. Always see a fair number of very fit ladies sporting the latest in store-bought boobies and tight, tight "I know you're all looking at me" gym wear. Always a few, buff guys orbiting around them, too.
Honestly, what would posses someone to wear thong underpants under their gym clothes ? (yeah, you can tell ;)
In the right frame of mind (i.e. twisted, like mine) it becomes pretty comical :D
I suppose the same characters hang out at most gyms. The physical therapist told me today that I'll need to continue at a gym to hold on to the progress I make in the six weeks of PT.
ReplyDeleteI don't care at all whether the "beautiful people" speak to me, but I'd like consistency.
Mimi, icka phooey on the gym, I don't THINK I used to go to the same Lifetime Fitness as David (I'm the fat lady who wore gym shorts and ratty old political T-shirts), but I quit the day after I got totally fed up with the smirks and giggles and told the guy "screw you and the horse you rode in on" which was bad enough, except I pointed in the direction of the bit of fluff he'd come in with. Tacky, tres tacky. Of me, too. I then figured out it was stupid to shoot off my mouth to such a buff body.
ReplyDeleteMy best exercise plan, suggested by my PT (physical terrorist in my case) when I broke my shoulder and tore out my knee the same fall, she suggested water aerobics. An hour of aerobics in the pool just seems like fun, where 30 minutes would kill me on dry land. Through Parks & Rec here. Mucho cheaper than a gym, too. And twice a week I'm gonna go, cuz I already paid for it already.
TheJanet, the water sounds lovely. My friend in Connecticut does water aerobics with two knee replacements.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I'm afraid it's to be the gym for me. The main therapy I need now is exercise for building strength in my knees on specific machines for that purpose.