Question about tracking exercise

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annahlotr
annahlotr Posts: 23 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
How would you track physical therapy? I spend one to two hours a day at least six days a week on pt.

I do physical therapy at the gym using the weight machines three times a week, and it ends up being about 45 minutes per session.

At home, my routine involves mini squats, wall squats with a ball, leg lifts in each direction with five lb ankle weights, exercise bands, and balancing exercises. I do this twice a day five to six days a week.

Should I only "count" the gym time? I'm not really trying to lose weight. I'm more interested in trying to gain/maintain muscle and keep from losing any more mobility. If it matters, I'm rehabbing my right leg from a car wreck. I damaged ligaments, and in general just screwed up my knee and ankle. It's been almost two years, and the injury is permanent, but if I follow the pt routines exactly and wear my braces I can walk.

Also, has anyone successfully regained muscle mass in their quads after a major injury? I lost most of my muscle mass after the injury, and I've struggled to get the bulk back. I'm to the point where my right leg is almost as strong as my left, but the muscle still looks atrophied. I was told you get strength back before you get bulk back, but it's been almost two years. I've managed to gain about 1.5in, which makes it 2 in. smaller than my good leg.

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  • annahlotr
    annahlotr Posts: 23 Member
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    *bump*
    and adding some questions

    My physical therapy is pretty much outlined in the above post, except for walking 1/2 to 1 mile two to three times a week and swimming 1/2 mile once or twice a week. I also use an arc trainer or elliptical machine about 20 minutes twice a week. The walking definitely doesn't count as cardio, because I'm mostly focused on using a correct gait.

    What would you suggest adding for upper body strength? I do a lot of lower body, but with the exception of a little swimming nothing for upper body. Free weights worry me, because I have hypermobility in most of my joints, and without someone watching for correct form I could easily hyperextend without realizing it, which is not good for joints, especially when weights are involved. I have a YMCA membership, so they have the standard weight machines.

    Would increasing swimming be a good idea? I like swimming, and I used to swim a lot more, so technique wise I'm fine. I just don't have the endurance or strength to do more than about half a mile right now.

    Do I need cardio? I'm pretty sure the only thing I have right now is the elliptical or arc trainer for 20 minutes twice a week. Anything I do needs to be low impact.

    This just seems complicated. Absolutely nothing in the physical therapy routine can change. If I back off at all, I start having trouble walking within a couple of days. And the physical therapy takes up so much time that I don't have a lot of time for anything else.
  • WifeofPastor
    WifeofPastor Posts: 26 Member
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    I have one leg smaller than the other due to being an amputee (Right below the knee). For building upper body strength I do planks with a count of 10 hold. I began with you 2 or 3 (that's all I could manage) back last year about Nov. time. I am now doing 2 sts of 10 most mornings when I get up and put my leg on.

    I also do weights, I began with 3 lb dumb bells in each hand, a side lift to shoulder high; straight up from shoulder; bent over at waist arm curles; lay on the bed (I can't get up from the floor very easily) with arms out to side bring them up to meet at shoulder level; using just one from above my head (still on bed) bring up and forward to shoulder level keeping arms straight; I also do this one standing up with the one wieght in both hands behind my head bring forward straighten arms and work down to bend at hips. No idea what any of these are called got it from a weight book my dh has. I began with the 3 lb weights doing sets of 10 ea until I was doing 3 sets. now I am using 5 lb weights and am up to two sets. Mt upper body strength was never very good so I've been using these to build up my strength.

    for better balance I used to use the Wii Fit; found it excellent for giving me back my balance. Now I use the Wii Dance Dance Revolution for cardio began in the beginners level and now have a mix of basic and difficult. Once all the snow and ice is gone I try and get out walking with my dh. Walking is always a great way to build your leg strength up again.

    Hope this helps.
  • annahlotr
    annahlotr Posts: 23 Member
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    Light hand weights would probably be ok. If I realized I was hyperextending they probably wouldn't be heavy enough to do much damage.

    I can try planks. They shouldn't cause a problem.

    I don't have a Wii. I do some walking, but mostly on an indoor track. If I'm outside, I only walk where I need to go. On a bad day, even short walks on uneven ground screw with my leg, and then I have to spend way too much time icing to lower the swelling.
  • WifeofPastor
    WifeofPastor Posts: 26 Member
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    Start slow with the light weight, go even lighter and use 1 lb weights; when I went through this 6 yrs ago that was all I could manage using; I let myself go and now it is harder to get back, the weight isn't coming off as fast, part of that is my age though.

    Anyway back to what I was saying, start slow with the weights do just 3 to 5 reps of each first, as you feel stronger increase the reps. Do not increase your weights until you are doing at least 3 sets of 10 reps.

    Walking indoors were there are no obstacles is best when you have stability issues, I personally find that if the surface is concrete underfoot then there is no give to the surface and my back and legs are soon hurting. When I began my walking it was on a treadmill, flat, no incline, and a very slow pace. What is important is you begin with what you can manage and as you feel stronger just add distance. You don't need speed to build your balance and strength back, just slow and steady adding distance as you feel comfortable.

    I use hiking poles they not only give me stability, they help take the pressure off my legs and give me a work out on my upper body. You can buy hiking poles now at reasonable prices. I keep two sets, one cheaper pair in the car for those times when we are going shopping and I use them to help me from getting too tired, the stop and go shopping is extremely hard on my legs, having the poles helps, it means my dh can do the actual shopping and I can just walk around the store and meet up with him every so often. My other set of poles are more expensive and sturdy for when we go outside walking with my dh or a friend. I don't go by myself for safety sake just in case I fall or suddenly find I'm in so much pain that I can't go a step further, the person i am with can then find somewhere for me to sit, or I turn around to walk back to the house or car and they run ahead to go and collect the vehicle to get me home.

    I use a heart monitor and calorie burner strap and wrist watch type recorders, to keep track of my time spent active, heart rate and calories burned. When I began doing this last time I used a pedometer and kept track of my steps which is also a good way of keeping track of how you are doing.

    I hope you find some of this helpful. These are the things I have done in the past and am now doing again, because I let the pain get ahead of me and the weight pile over the last few years. I am kicking myself for letting this happen but that doesn't accomplish anything, so I just knuckle down and try each day to do some of my exercises or all, depending on time and how I feel.

    Ronnie

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