Workout Wednesday: Physical Therapy as a Personal Trainer

If anything is consistent in my life it is back problems. Having scoliosis and three fused vertebras, I will always have some degree of back problems. The key is managing my pain. For the most part my biggest tool in the tool box for back pain management is being in the water. Swimming and water aerobics are key. I am usually in the pool twice a week and this really helps keep my back in a comfortable state.

About a year ago my pain shifted from the left side of my back to more of the right side of my hip. I had my hip x-rayed, but everything was found to look normal. This pain is persistent and is at its worse in the mornings. I think the pain becomes worse the longer I am immobile. I decided to head back to my old Physical Therapist to see if he could develop a workout routine for me to address this pain.

I headed into Back to Golf with the expectation that they would put together a general workout routine for me, mostly weight lifting. But they far exceeded my expectations. The PT did a full evaluation and identified the muscles that I was over and under using. He made three specific exercises for me to do every day at home to help activate certain muscles. One of the exercises targeted the EXACT location of my pain. It was such a relief to feel like there could be hope to address this pain.

After working with the PT once a week for four weeks, he developed a program for me to implement one my own, at the gym. The routine combines stretching, back and side lunges, sit-ups, stability ball and the TRX. The TRX is a suspension system that provides resistance. I do push up, pull ups and squats with the TRX. So far I am getting through the routine twice a week. Some days I notice a huge difference and other days I feel about the same as I did when I started. In a couple more weeks I will check in with the PT to make adjustments to the routine. I am hoping to find the right combination to help address this problem.

Here is a picture of the TRX.  This is not me...I don't smile like that when I am exercising.

Workout Wednesday-New Triathlon Workout

I am always looking for creative ways to mix up my workout routine.  About a year ago, I did a triathlon workout in which I completed a triathlon over the course of 6 or 7 days.  This workout was based on completing a specified distance of biking, walking, and swimming and recording the time it took to complete.  Now I am thinking about attempting a triathlon with a different approach. This time I am going to workout for a designated time frame and record the distance. The catch with this challenge is to conduct all three events in one workout.  I am thinking about starting with 20 minutes for each event and working my way up to 30 minutes for each event.  I like the idea of working my way up to a 1.5 hour workout.  It will be fun to record my distance with each workout and set new goal for improvement.  Not sure when I am going to attempt this workout, but  I will be sure to log my progress here on my blog.