Thursday, May 6, 2010

Yoga Dropout

I am really regreting that 3.3 mile hike last Sunday. I didn't think 3.3 miles was very much, but evidently my hips disagree. They've been sore and cranky ever since.

I figured it was time to go to yoga class and stretch them out; maybe they'd behave. How wrong I was! After only 10 minutes of class, I was ready to leave. Another 10 minutes, and I was barely moving (much to the annoyance of Flexy Freddy, the guy to my left). I could not do "crescent lunge," "low lunge," "warrior 1" or "warrior 2." I couldn't even touch my toes. So slowly, carefully, I gathered my things and crept out the back door.

I have never left a yoga class in the middle, even when I just started back after surgery. I can usually modify the poses enough so that I can get through class even if I am having a bad hip day. And a week ago at yoga class I really thought I'd had a breakthrough, since I did almost all of the poses unmodified. But today there was no point in staying because everything hurt.

I know it's still early in my recovery, but I want to be able to do more than one activity per week. I want to be able to walk on Sunday, skate on Tuesday and Friday, and yoga on Thursday. But I am just not there yet. I still have to be careful and take it easy when it comes to physical activity. I am not good at doing that!

Tomorrow I have a lesson with Coach R and I AM NOT CANCELING. I plan to go to Sunday social dancing and I AM NOT CANCELING. Yoga I can live without, but skating is non-negotiable.

1 comment:

Kianoosh said...

Why does it not surprise me to read this report?! Because I know you and I also relate to how you feel about getting up to speed sooner than later. You have a very competitive personality, and no matter how well you do, you always want to do better. That's understandable, and it is one of your special traits that I admire so much. Just don't lose sight of how far ahead of other people who have been through the same procedures you are already. Although my experience with shoulder surgery and recovery does not come within a million miles of what you have been through, there is a principle that applies as much to you now as it did to me during my recovery. It was the principle of pulling back the reins every time you try to break loose before your time. I had a PT who understood me and was instrumental in helping me remind myself that in my various stages of recovery when I felt better than the week before, I had to be careful to not try to do more than what my tender recovering shoulder could handle. I was lucky, because with shoulder injury I could run and do all sorts of cardio vascular exercises to make me feel good. In your case, it is extremely difficult to maintain long cardio vascular workout without overworking your hips. The endorphin addict in you is going nuts from lack of exercise. But please try to pull back the reins on your horse and not let it run faster than it should in these critical stages of your recovery. I have no doubt in 2-3 weeks time you will be looking back at a 3 mile hike and think of it as cake walk. Just remember not to get complacent with what your body can do. Have fun with your lesson tomorrow, and I hope you don't experience any pain.