Before my first knee replacement in 2007, I was a loyal member of the DAC and went first thing in the morning, when I followed a routine that exercised all the main muscle groups. I didn't much like doing it, but I always felt better after it was complete and I basked in the smugness of doing something healthy for my body. But when I was scheduled for the surgery, I let my membership lapse and never went back. I did, however, start a minimum exercise program of my own and was in physical therapy for a number of months. I started walking every morning and from then until my second knee replacement last year continued that routine. Man, that hill just north of me on Mt. Royal Avenue was a killer! But at least I got to go down it on the way home. Therapy for the second knee replacement was more complex and lasted a lot longer, partly because I fell and fractured two of my vertebrae so any exercise was difficult. Just bending over to shave gave me such a back ache that I had to sit down for an hour afterward. And entertaining, which I love, was very difficult.
Then along came Medi-Fast, which urged beginners of the program not to exercise for the first two weeks, but then to at least take a short walk every day. Since then, I've been walking every day but I could only make it around one block: down Oliver, up Maryland and around the Lyric to back home. Then the weight began to come off. Miraculously, my back stopped hurting. I guess losing 32 pounds hanging on my spine helped and my doctor put me on a mild anti-inflammatory (for other reasons). So back to exercise.
I now walk around two blocks - soon it will be three - and then go to the gym in my building, fully equipped and blinking at me, like a beacon of health. I started slowly but now do a gradually building routine, increasing the free weights and the weights on the machines every week. I ride the stationery bike for 10 minutes at a fairly hefty speed at the beginning of my routine (mostly to keep the knees flexible) and do 150 sit-ups on a big ball at the end, hoping to build muscle under my girth. I do these 50 reps at a time and at least for now, they haven't hurt my back. So exercise is good.
I've lost another pound, 33 in all now, and only 9 more to go.
Stay tuned.
Then along came Medi-Fast, which urged beginners of the program not to exercise for the first two weeks, but then to at least take a short walk every day. Since then, I've been walking every day but I could only make it around one block: down Oliver, up Maryland and around the Lyric to back home. Then the weight began to come off. Miraculously, my back stopped hurting. I guess losing 32 pounds hanging on my spine helped and my doctor put me on a mild anti-inflammatory (for other reasons). So back to exercise.
I now walk around two blocks - soon it will be three - and then go to the gym in my building, fully equipped and blinking at me, like a beacon of health. I started slowly but now do a gradually building routine, increasing the free weights and the weights on the machines every week. I ride the stationery bike for 10 minutes at a fairly hefty speed at the beginning of my routine (mostly to keep the knees flexible) and do 150 sit-ups on a big ball at the end, hoping to build muscle under my girth. I do these 50 reps at a time and at least for now, they haven't hurt my back. So exercise is good.
I've lost another pound, 33 in all now, and only 9 more to go.
Stay tuned.
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