Reinvented-ness

Mess more like!

A photo of the swimming pool changing rooms is hardly momentous but these days when there's kids in I wouldn't risk a photo anywhere else so it'll have to do.

I've had today marked out as the start of a new phase of my life. Or at least the pre-planning stage of it. The reality is that I've been changing things progressively but the combination of discussions with my surgeon and handing my notice in seemed to warrant a new start. Operation Reinvented Ness. Sounds a bit new agey so I may have to put more effort into the name.

I've been pre-planning for a while but it seemed to make sense to start it all on the 2nd birthday of my fake hip (well the acetabular part anyway but that's a long story!). Indeed I had a rendition of Hippy Birthday all ready for this blip. And then I clocked the date. It was yesterday. D'oh! So I started this new era lounging on the sofa avoiding walking and watching sport. It could be prophetic.

Anyway, the part of the new regime that I can implement straight away is the exercise bit. The golden rules of that strand are:

1) fitness
2) moderateness (seems to be stretching my naming thing but it is a word apparently. I'd have thought moderation was better).
3) steady, low impact work. YAWN!
4) to get over myself. I may naturally tend towards the explosive, high impact, repeat sprint end of sport but that isn't going to happen again so focus on what I can do.

With that in mind I braved the aqua aerobics class at the local leisure centre. All I can say is that half the people were not doing what she said under the water OR I am really unfit (absolutely) OR I was the only idiot to pick the big floats up. I wasn't being cocky I was just one of the last to get to the pile. I teach hydrotherapy. I know what I normally do with the floats so I thought I was safe. Oh no. There is no way on this earth that anyone could do the exercises with the big floats at the speed she was doing them on dry land. Well possibly Jonah Lomu but there was no real allowance for water resistance. Or for the fact that a lot of the people there had some kind of restriction. I told her I had MSK issues pre-session but that I knew what I couldn't/shouldn't do and would just adjust accordingly but she didn't ask or give alternatives for people who couldn't manage things etc etc. All of which left the physio in me slightly concerned but I suspect other people may find it easier than I do to override the bit of their brain that stops them competing with themselves.

Just as I was hitting the override button and stopping jogging on the spot while making my arms burn, she handed out the noodles. Loads of nice things to do for core on them. My patients usually cower when I suggest sitting on them for early core exercises but hey I've mastered them post-hip so I was hoping for an easier end to the session. "OK, take the noodle to the deep end and stand on it." "Pardon?". Pleasantly surprised. "Now travel", "What the?" Eventually I was OK but only in reverse. "Now lift alternate legs", "You're having a laugh now, pet!".

I may not recommend my patients go there (I think they may need an intermediate stage with more supervision*) but it was fun and my foot settled down reasonably quickly. DEFINITELY part of the new regime. I may use an aqua jogger next time so I can do most of the jogging for cardio rather than foot rehab. And I may just try the hydro jog session on Thursday.

So that's the easy part of the plan:

Water-based activities: aqua, hydro jog and swimming. Lessons may be required if I'm not going to get frustrated.
Bike: rollers until fitter and confident that my foot can take getting out of the saddle. It's hilly round here and I have a single speed.
Wobble board and home rehab. I should have that bit nailed!

Operation wellness
I guess the fitness branch is a subset of this. It essentially boils down to slaying Arthur. Or at least learning how to work with him to optimise my health and reduce the risk of comorbidities. The NICE guidelines recommend exercise (tick) and losing weight. I didn't really need to read the NICE guidelines to know that. And the evidence behind the losing weight bit is not great but it can't do any harm. I've always exercised. Not for exercise's sake but for sport or dancing. And I've also always loved to eat. One counteracted the other, one demanded the other. As I've got less physical needless to say I've gained weight so it won't hurt to try and lose a bit. It's not going to help that I'm vehemently opposed to the concept of dieting so for now the plan is increase exercise, vastly reduce sugary drinks and chocolate and try and eat reasonably healthy and see how I go. To be honest I'm not that bad at the latter two anyway so I may be overly optimistic that it'll make any difference but I point blank refuse to obsess about my weight.

Funny how I've started with the elements of the plan that include exercise and wellbeing and not the dreaded employment issue. Partly because they're easier to control and partly because I could do something concrete NOW. The how I pay the bills going forward strand is much more vague at the moment. Deliberately so. I'm not avoiding it I just want to brainstorm as effectively as possible and avoid any kneejerk responses. I did have some success today and completed reading "What colour is your parachute?". Tomorrow I've scheduled a Starbucks session to do some of the exercises and for what remains of this evening and the early hours of the morning I shall hit one of the other library books. A-level accounting, I may save for another day.

Feeling achy but happy. And positive. Not a bad way to be.

Vx