OK. This weather is CRAZY! I just wrote in the blog how it was reminding me it was still winter with the grey skies and rain, but now it's like summer again! Well, I am defintely not complaining!
Today we started our session with arm warm-ups. Man, I highly dislike doing arm warm-ups. First, we did forward circles, then backwards circles, made C's with my arms, twisted invisible doorknobs. bent my elbows up and straitened my arms back out, and held both arms out to the sides before dropping my arms with releif.
Then, Nicole handed me the 4 lb weights, one for each hand. I started with the weights down in my lap, then I brought up one weight at a time, bending my elbows, bringing the weights to my chest. Nicole had me do a bunch of these to wear out my arms so that I wouldn't be dependant on them for what was to come!
Next, Nicole set up one of the large boxes under the TRX. She used her own height as a referance, and sat down on the box, measuring the perfect height for the TRX handles to hang. I motored on over to "the set up," and Nicole transfered me over to box where I sat down. With the help of Nicole, I reached up and grabbed the TRX handles.
My first task was to "wipe that terrorfied look off my face." I can't help it. Anytime my body is put into "uncomfortable" situations where I just don't have that faith in my body to hold me up, I seem to automatically get that worried look on my face. Nicole did a nice job reassuring me, telling me "you got this," "I'm not going to let you fall," and "you're doing great."
Nicole had me lean back to the piont where my arms were straight holding the TRX. I pulled myself back up to sitting using my arms and core. I did this a few...maybe 5...times.
Nicole squatted at my feet and helped spread apart my feet/legs to give me a sturdier, more stable base. I worked on balancng my upper body using the TRX for support. Then, I released to TRX handles, and used Nicole's hands to balance me. To help my balance even more, Nicole had me open my arms out to the side..."like trapeze walkers do," Nicole said. I was able to find my balance and engage the heck out of my core, and I sat there unassisted for approx. 10 seconds.
I also tried to get enough balance to sit using only my left hand up on the TRX handle. My left hip kept coming up, which caused me to lean over and put all my weight in the right hip. This is of course, NOT what I wanted to happen, but it definitely makes me want to wear my back brace more to level out my hip bones!
Nicole had me stand after sitting on the box. When I was standing with both legs firmly straight and planted in position, my right knee started really hurting. Around my kneecap started "burning" and I could handle the pain for about a minute, but the "burning" turned into sharp pain and I had to sit! Once I was back in my wheelchair, Nicole and I discussed it, and figured that since I never get that pain when standing with my back brace, and since I have complained of my right knee hurting during my standing attempts before, it seems that my right leg is carrying/holding-up too much of my body weight. So, moral of the story is...I need to constantly wear my back brace! I think my friend Rob is coming over to help me stand-up tomorrow, so hopefully we'll get some better "standing results!"
So next, Nicole wanted to have me do this new exercise that she would like me to do at home. She took a resistance band and wrapped it around my left hand. She stood a few feet away holding the other end of the band, and I swung my arm back, pulling the resistance band. I did the left side, then the right arm, followed by the left again, and finally the right side. ..15 each set? This exercise targets the triceps...a muscle that I really need to work on!
Another exercise I can do at home, is the one Nicole had me do next. I wrapped the resistance band around each hand, about 6 inches apart out in front of me. Then I seperated my arms/hands as far as I could get them, and brought them back together. This one targets the triceps and shoulder muscles.
Last, but not least, I buckled my seatbelt.....pretty flippin' fast and easily!
Monday is my final day with Nicole. Depressing.
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