Workout February 9, 2016: First, Cardio.
Today I returned to Cardio today after bronchitis and it was HARD! Bone Builder on Tuesday has two parts to it: Cardio and strength. Lisa varies the intervals between a few minutes at each station, or the way she did it today with half Cardio and then half strength.
I coughed throughout the cardio, even after lowering the resistance to embarrassingly easy levels … but I did it! And it felt GREAT! Lisa of Pulse Fitness talked me through without making me feel embarrassed and I ended up feeling quite strong.
We moved on to TRX, straps that hang from the ceiling which are used for a full-body strength workout. They can also be used for Pilates. In our case, we started with standing back and chest exercises. Surprisingly, my coughing stopped completely. We moved to some fluid exercises starting with a one-legged squat, then moving through the straps into a position parallel to the floor, standing on one leg with the second straight back, both arms open wide into a “T” shape. The chest openness, the ab engagement, and the balance felt like my body was ready to move and to get back onto the strength building bandwagon.
Earlier today I went to a cardiologist for an appointment snowed out by the blizzard two weeks ago. My primary care doctor sent me to check out an increase in my resting heart rate from 60-70 up to 100 or more, along with shortness of breath. Dr Cardio was thoughtful and thorough, explaining everything he ws doing and looking for throughout the exam. After completing his comprehensive exam he said, “I didn’t find anything, which is good (no major issue found) and bad (we can’t fix what we can’t see). He asked me to come back in a few weeks for a “stress test” so we can see where exactly I get sort of breath while exercising. Meanwhile, I’ll start listening to Lisa and step up my cardio.
After Bone Builder, was wonderful MELT. We start by lying on our backs and quietly paying attention to the tight spots in our bodies and any imbalances between the right and left sides. After bronchitis, I was just completely out of sync side to side. Lisa led us through a lower back massage using the foam roller, then upper back and shoulders. By the end of class I felt stronger, more in alignment, and was not coughing. I didn’t even cough during the deep breathing portion of MELT.
My goal in sharing my workout experiences is to help other people who may have health or orthopedic issues, or just fear of working out, to have a glimpse into how fitness is very accessible. When something comes up, like today’s cough, you adjust your workout and problem solve how to modify any exercises, with the help of a good trainer.
Try it!
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