watervole: (Default)
Judith Proctor ([personal profile] watervole) wrote2023-04-27 03:03 pm
Entry tags:

Trying to return to normal

 I'm pretty much free of the pain from sciatica/bursitis/piriformis now.

The next stage, which is proving harder than anticipated, is to regain all the muscle strength that atrophied away when I was having to lie down nearly all day.

I've made progress, but I tire horribly easily, and I always have muscle aches the next day after any serious exercise.

But, on the positive side, my balance is fully recovered.  I can stand on one leg for a full minute of a Tai Chi exercise and both legs are good for that.

I can swim for 25 mins (even if I am wiped then next day) and my speed is picking up. I can believe that I will be back at my normal swimming speed (which used to be faster than 80% of the other people in the pool) before very long.

I can do 15-20 mins Tai Chi, but 40mins is way beyond me. (I did that class on two separate days - I use Leia Cohen's "Tai Chi 5 minutes per day" which I recommend highly.)

I can go for a 20 min walk, but start flaking out after that. (But as Richard says, it's a vast improvement over struggling to walk across the lounge!)

I'm doing some very light weight lifting with hand weights. (Lighter than the smallest handweights at the gym, which were too tiring)  I have horrible bingo wings.

I'm also working on my mental health, which took quite a bash when things were at their lowest.  Feeling completely useless is not good for one's self-confidence....

I'm starting to settle into a pattern (forcing myself to remember to do it even on days when I don't really want to) of meditating for 10 mins a day.  There's a very good app called 'Insight Timer', though I sometimes meditate without the app when I'm in the flow.

I shall go and do it now while I'm thinking about it...

And I shall try and write more often here to share other things that I've found to help both mental and physical health.  Some are quite trivial, but they nearly all seem to be helping and hopefully may be of use to others.

 

 

 

igenlode: The pirate sloop 'Horizon' from "Treasures of the Indies" (Default)

[personal profile] igenlode 2023-04-27 07:37 pm (UTC)(link)
Sounds very promising!
pensnest: Dark silhouette opening jacket to reveal rainbow chest (Rainbow Superman)

[personal profile] pensnest 2023-04-27 11:33 pm (UTC)(link)
You sound as though you are making really good progress on regaining your strength. Seriously, it sounds awesome. You've got to the stage where it's frustrating not to be able to do more, so don't forget to look back and see how far you have come already. Best of luck with your future progress.
kotturinn: (Default)

[personal profile] kotturinn 2023-04-28 04:55 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm glad the pain is pretty much gone.

Thanks for posting your rehab/physio plans and I'd certainly be interested in reading more about what you find useful for both mental and physical health.
ranunculus: (Default)

[personal profile] ranunculus 2023-04-29 04:20 am (UTC)(link)
It is good to hear from you. So glad that things are getting better.