Things I did for me

[mme_hardy]

 After six months of having the prescription and dithering, I am off to a physical therapist.  This was an idea of mine: every time I start exercising, I exhaust myself and wind up in bed the next day.  I can't walk for 15 minutes, the standard recommendation.  The physical therapist is going to design a workout that starts low and slow, but can be ramped up at home as I get stronger.   I need this, and I finally took time out of all the arranging for family to arrange it.

Comments

[tigerflower]

I think this is very smart, and I wish you all the best.

[kate_nepveu]

Go you!

[recessional]

\o/ Awesome.

[executrix]

Not sure where you're located, so not sure if it's a "yard sale" or "car boot sale" or whatever--but exercise balls, exercise bands, and hand weights are often available at very low prices. And common household objects like towels and soup cans can be used for exercise. A plastic bottle that once held soda or juice can be a variable-weight exercise tool--starting out empty, then with more and more water, then filled with something heavier than water.

Don't forget online videos--there are chair yoga and tai chi chuan videos for people with low fitness levels.

[mme_hardy]

Thank you for all the suggestions!

[kore]

Oh yeah, one thing I found v helpful from Strong Women Stay Young (which might get rec'd to you, as low-impact exercises) -- you can use 5-lb cans as hand weights. I chose canned beets, since that was insurance I would never eat my DIY weights by accident.

I think the first book was based on Tufts studies: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0553588737?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwbewellcom-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0553588737 (The website seems to have an unfortunate emphasis on weightloss blahblah; I got interested in the first book because of my pretty bad RSI, which means I cannot do nearly any gym workouts.)

[julian]

Coolness. I hope good solutions are found. (I mean, sounds like it, and good PTs are a goodness...)

[ironed_orchid]

Hope it goes well.

[cofax7]

Brava you! You gotta look after yourself, you know.

[vom_marlowe]

Good for you!

Just as a possibly helpful datapoint. I have done PT where my starting point was standing, holding onto a table, for five seconds (seriously, my PT counted). That was all I could manage, because I'd been medically not-allowed-to-walk for a couple months.

At the time, I felt very embarrassed about this (who can't even stand?!?) but I have since learned that, hey, it actually happens pretty often. I was able to make tons of progress by working at the proper speed--5 seconds 3 times, and then more, and then pretty soon I was, well, OK, not capering about in a frolicksome fashion, but at least able to wander around, weeding my garden.

[oracne]

I hope it goes well!

[tesserae]

Something that may help: work with your PT to set reasonable, achievable goals, then give yourself permission to quit when you reach the halfway point if you really need to. But be honest with yourself at that halfway point: can you go another minute or not? If you can, do so, then check again. If you can't, stop. I did this many years ago as a way of getting into shape (for probably the first time in my life) and it not only did the trick but, more importantly, taught me to let my body be honest with me. What turned out to be important wasn't the times I kept going but the times I let myself turn around - and those, in turn, got to be fewer and fewer, as I really did develop the ability to go another block.

[executrix]

Also, I'd suggest having the PT measure your legs--if they are of unequal lengths (which is pretty common) then a small lift or taps on one or both shoes could reduce pain when you're walking. And if your shoes wear out unevenly, having a shoemaker put on new heels could also help.

If you can find an Alexander teacher, or get a book or video, using your body in a more balanced way could also help. Just lying down on the floor and thinking about the way the parts of your body are aligned can help too. The closer you are to being perfectly balanced, the less energy everything takes, and the less overstretching to one set of muscles and the less contraction in the opposing set!

[kore]

Good for you!

Have never embarked on a PT program but what has been emphasized to me a lot by various doctors re RSI is even low-impact exercise can be really helpful if you do it regularly (a big bugbear for me). A pro-designed workout you can modify at home sounds just the ticket.