PT recommendations too hard for me - I'm ready to give up

Polo265

Hi -
Stats:
Starting weight (154.6)
Current weight (151.6)
BMI 25.5%
Fat: 39%
I will be 68 next month
Have COPD and am under the care of a pulmonologist

I signed up for a "next steps' program at the fitness center following rotator cuff surgery 6 months ago. I was totally inactive for at least 10 months after my injury and gained 30 pounds.

Regarding cardio: My trainer has me doing 10 minutes on the recumbent bike (with arms) for 10 minutes at Level 3, 8 minutes on the elliptical (no arms) Level 3, and the upright stationery bike (level 3). My problem is the elliptical is too difficult for me. I am gasping for breath and my heart is pounding. I am shaking when I complete my cardio and have difficulty moving on the the strength.

RE: Strength: My upper body is extremely sore from the strength training. It hurts to get out of an arm chair and even turn my bed covers over. I don't know how I'm going to do it today.

I've only been doing this for 2 sessions and already I'm ready to give up. I'm so discouraged and feel sick at having to complete the 8 week program I signed up for. Should I give up and find a program on my own to do?

TavistockToad

speaking to your PT would be the first thing to do...

deannalfisher

have you told the physical trainer this? if you aren't communicating issues, then they can't adapt the program to help you - but sounds like a case of too much too fast and potentially not taking your pulmonary issues into consideration

Azdak

You don't mention what kind of "fitness center" it is--park district, Y, commercial, hospital-base--so it's hard to estimate the qualifications of the trainer. Sometimes even w/the best intentions, they don't have the proper training.

That being said, you are at the worst point right now--giving up would mean you endured all the pain for nothing.

I am sorry you are in that much discomfort. You just did too much too soon. If can ease back into things, you will start to feel better. It's difficult to imagine this morning, but moving can actually help you feel better.

Start by giving up the elliptical, and by cutting everything else in half. If the weights are at all a struggle, reduce them as well, and only do one or two sets. You need to go to a level where you can experience success, rather than feeling defeated.

jemhh

Azdak has given you very good advice. I second the suggestion to keep going but scale back.

Don't get discouraged. A lot of people overdo it at first (and "overdoing" varies from person to person.) I know that I did. It's unfortunate that it happened even with a trainer helping you but you are not alone in having this happen.

Best of luck to you.

Skipjack66

You've gone from 0 to almost 30 min of exercise in two sessions. It sounds like this trainer does not understand your medical or post surgical issues at all. I would really take care of that shoulder of yours. That much shoulder pain in just a few sessions is not a good sign. A re-do of a rotator cuff repair is a not something that is easily done. Get yourself to your doctor to start, and perhaps a physiotherapist who will take into consideration your rotator cuff repair AND your COPD and put you on a program that will be tailored to YOU specifically (not a "next steps recipe"). Good luck!

ninerbuff

OP, the pain isn't always going to be that way. You're unconditioned and are NOT going to get conditioned in just a couple of sessions. Talk to your PT about the pain. A good one will scale down the workout.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

RedSierra

Skipjack66 wrote: »

You've gone from 0 to almost 30 min of exercise in two sessions. It sounds like this trainer does not understand your medical or post surgical issues at all. I would really take care of that shoulder of yours. That much shoulder pain in just a few sessions is not a good sign. A re-do of a rotator cuff repair is a not something that is easily done. Get yourself to your doctor to start, and perhaps a physiotherapist who will take into consideration your rotator cuff repair AND your COPD and put you on a program that will be tailored to YOU specifically (not a "next steps recipe"). Good luck!

I agree with this. You have medical issues that need to be taken into account. Talk to your doctor.

stanmann571

Assuming that this is a PT office and not just a gym, since the "hand bike recumbent" isn't exactly a universal piece of equipment, what mobilization exercises are you doing/have you been doing for the "first steps" since this is "next steps"

It sounds like the PT/Trainer has you going in several different directions at the same time.
Shoulder rehab/strength/mobility(hand bike)
General fitness elliptical/stationary bike

It may be best to ask if you can tune the focus of the program just a little bit in order to focus on rehab before you jump into general fitness.

If the strength exercises are just as haphazard, it's likely best to ask for a different trainer or program.

sllm1

Aside from talking to him about it, you could:

1) Take a day off from the strength to rest your muscles
2) Take the elliptical down a level or 2 and/or fewer minutes (5 minutes at level 1?) - and then work yourself up as you are able

There's no sense in giving up when there are modifications that can be made to allow you to keep working at your own level.

Polo265

Thanks everyone for the motivation and tips. I did go back for my 3rd session today. The facility I attend is a Wellness and Fitness Center affiliated with the hospital. All the equipment is state of art with an olympic size pool. The director of the "Next Steps" program has a B.S. in Exercise Science with the following certifications:
ACSM Certified Exercise Physiologist
NDPP Lifestyle Coach

I took your advice and lowered the level on the elliptical: 5 minutes at Level 1, 2 minutes at Level 2 and 1 minute at Level 3. It didn't make me as exhausted as the previous routine. I also couldn't complete the level of pushups prescribed on the Smith Bar because I was too sore - had to raise the bar. Anyway, with your motivation and recommendations, I had more success. Thanks so much!

I guess the recumbent bike is more like a recumbent stepper with arms. It's a Precor.

Oh - PS - yes, I have general body conditioning and a bit of conditioning for my shoulder. I had previously completed several weeks of specific physical therapy following my surgery.

Azdak

Polo265 wrote: »

Thanks everyone for the motivation and tips. I did go back for my 3rd session today. The facility I attend is a Wellness and Fitness Center affiliated with the hospital. All the equipment is state of art with an olympic size pool. The director of the "Next Steps" program has a B.S. in Exercise Science with the following certifications:
ACSM Certified Exercise Physiologist
NDPP Lifestyle Coach

I took your advice and lowered the level on the elliptical: 5 minutes at Level 1, 2 minutes at Level 2 and 1 minute at Level 3. It didn't make me as exhausted as the previous routine. I also couldn't complete the level of pushups prescribed on the Smith Bar because I was too sore - had to raise the bar. Anyway, with your motivation and recommendations, I had more success. Thanks so much!

I guess the recumbent bike is more like a recumbent stepper with arms. It's a Precor.

Oh - PS - yes, I have general body conditioning and a bit of conditioning for my shoulder. I had previously completed several weeks of specific physical therapy following my surgery.

It sounds like you are in a good place. Despite best intentions and care, sometimes trainers overestimate what you can do at first. What you were originally given was not a bad program--it was just too much for you to start with. You should do fine in the long run (pun intended).

corinasue1143

NO ! ! Don't quit! The fact that you did it 2 days proves you can do it. The fact that you hurt so bad shows its still too much RIGHT NOW. Do like the others have said. Back off, talk to your trainer. Keep going,but more slowly. "Life's a marathon, not a sprint"

Polo265

I thought I would resurrect this thread following my original post at the end of 4 weeks.

Starting weight: 154.6
Starting BMI: 25.7
Current weight:146.6
BMI: 24.2
Don't know what my fat percentage is - was 39
Still almost 68

I can now do 10 minutes on the elliptical at Level 3 - still a struggle. Despite the accreditations of the facility and the director of the program, I took my training into my own hands. I was watching folks in the "next steps" program, which I am in. Seems everyone has the same routine - diabetes folks, weight loss folks, orthopedic folks, etc. I thought, "WTH?" I am in there for shoulder rehab, with the hope that I would lose some weight.

Anyway, from the posts here, I have altered my routine and added some different strength training, in addition to adding the rowing machine for my shoulder.

Spliner1969

First, I'd have to agree, speak to your PT about it. Second, don't give up. Third, there are ways you can do it, maybe you're trying to go too hard too fast.

Two years ago I bought a Bowflex M5. One of those machines you see on TV that advertises a 14 minute workout is all you need. Don't get me wrong, I love my Bowflex, but it takes more than 14 minutes 3x per week to accomplish what I wanted. Anyway that has nothing to do with my point. My point is that when I got it I was the same way, I could only stay on the thing, at the lowest setting, for maybe a minute before I was out of breath and my heart rate was so high I was seeing spots. I gave up, let it collect dust for a while, then I tried to come back, stay on longer and longer, and it just wasn't getting me anywhere. I gave up on it for a few more weeks, and wondered honestly if I had wasted my money. Hell, I was walking 4+ miles a day as fast as i could, and thought I was in fairly good shape to try this machine out, but something about it (it's like a cross between a stair stepper and an elliptical with the arm movements) just blew me away when I tried to stay on it for more than a minute. Then I tried something else...

I'd get on the thing, go until I started to get worn out (as I said it only took a minute or so) but instead of stopping, I slowed way the hell down, almost stopping on it, until I caught my breath, then I'd speed up a bit more and a bit more until again.. I was out of breath and my HR was high, then I'd slow down to a crawl. My point was I was increasing the times on the thing, even if the needle on it was barely moving. Over the next two months I worked up to being able to stay on it for a full 15 minutes, then later down the road 30 minutes, and even up to an hour without even slowing down. Now it's my b*tch. I max it out on settings, bury the needle, and do a MAX workout on it at full blast for a good quick workout. So NOW it's a good workout for me for 14 minutes, back then it wasn't.

Fish oil helped my HR it seemed. After taking it daily for a while I noticed my resting heart rate went down, and it was easier to sustain activity longer.

My point is don't give up, slow down if you must, but don't quit.

Polo265

Thank you Spliner. I don't intend to give up. This particular elliptical kills me. A different type of elliptical, not so much. I can manage the other cardio machines, but this one (to me) is a killer. My program will be done in 4 weeks, so I must make as much progress as I can.

Skipjack66

This is what I'd feared with your "next steps" program. Often they are cookie cutter recipes for everyone, at least in the ones I've seen locally in my community. They work well for generalized conditioning but not necessarily so well for specific soft tissue reconstructive rehab goals, especially something like a rotator cuff repair. I was hoping that since it was connected to the hospital, your physio would liaise with the trainer staff fairly often and tell them the rehab plan including contraindications, etc.

Is it possible for you to see the physiotherapist occasionally for a graduated exercise home program that will take you from A to Z? A physio can tell you all the do's and dont's to reach your functional goals without putting your precious repair at risk from either over use, over weighting, or bad positions. You can go back and see him/her every few weeks or months and get the next instalment of home exercises. It takes a long time to rehab a rotator cuff repair, as healing is slower in your 60s and patience is key to making the repair and recovery a successful one. Good luck!