When ‘all or nothing’ is not an option
What physical therapy taught me about pacing
“That’s it?” I asked.
After weeks of procrastination, I started knee therapy. After a month of weightlifting, I end up in physical therapy.
Ha, this is what being proactive gets me! I didn’t go crazy on the exercise, went to a personal trainer. It was he who even recommended visiting a doctor. Stabbing and constant knee pain from day one is not ‘normal’, no matter when was the last time I exercised.
Nothing serious: tendinitis and a floating meniscus. Fixable.
And even when my personal trainer wanted me to go back I still got orders of no other type of exercise for the duration of the rehab. Six weeks. Doctors orders.
The process is simple, and that was my problem: it was too simple.
The therapy is twice a week separated into two portions. In no particular order, it’s the machine and the movement.
The first one, the machines are some electromagnetic and shock wave machines on my knee. Uncomfortable, not unbearable.
And two, the movement:
- 10 minutes by bike as a warm-up
- Four to five simple exercises of 10–20 reps on each leg.
These ones are simple step ups, raising my legs, touching the floor, and pressing a small therapy ball.
“That’s it, good to go,” she says with a smile.
“That’s it?” Shock.
Did I really expect ‘hard’ and ‘sweat ‘till you die’ in therapy? Do I have it so ingrained in my mind?
Honestly, I don’t have the greatest record of being consistent in exercising. I’m part of the excuse-makers. But, oh do I love trying something new. I’ve started Pilates, yoga, boxing, CrossFit, regular gym, weight lifting in three different places, tennis, orange theory, f45, Zumba, Hip-Hop, cycling, trampoline workouts, and some others.
In all those classes it was an all-or-nothing state of mind.
It’s tongue on the floor. It’s nausea.
It’s someone shouting: “I don’t see you trying hard enough”.
Therapy was 20 minutes and that was it.
It’s not like I didn’t feel it on my knees. I felt it even on the next day.
It was work, but it was slow work.
I still can’t really get my mind around the slow. It’s hard to break old habits, or maybe it’s the ADHD.
Even when the trainer reminded me: “Your knees are recovering”.
No one told the trainer that that speed does not exist in my system.
Slow. Healing. What a concept.
My restless mind already wanted to try 75hard, knowing full well I would turn into a couch potato by day 10. But, once again life teaches health is not an all-or-nothing situation.
I know all of this. But rationalizing it and living it are two different paths. In practice, medium pace and slow pace are more difficult than the extremes.
Here’s to going at my own pace. Here’s to stop being that person that slims down in 2 months, and then sleeps for a year. Here’s to start listening more to the pain. Here’s to start listening more to what feels good.
