Replacements

Last week, most of my normal therapists were on vacation so I had to work with some new people.  Getting the crap kicked out of me by strangers highlighted for me the fact that I had become a little too chummy with my regular PT trainers, and had figured out how to trick them into giving me less work.  I always like doing less work, but in this case, doing less work may result in me being less prepared when I have to go do this stuff at home by myself.  So I told my PT trainers that.  The result was predictable.  They have been working me like a dog all week.

The lazy part of me misses the good old days of telling jokes to avoid exercise, but the practical part of me knows it's for the best.

Yesterday, Emily made me try a floor transfer.  I transferred from one of the bench/beds in the gym to a step stool to the floor and back up.  It was REALLY hard.  I wish I had a picture for you, but I don't.  It's not the hardest thing I'm going to have to learn how to do, but it was really scary.  You have to really commit to it which makes it possible to screw it up.  If I screw it up, I could fall and hurt myself, but when I get home, if I fall out of my chair, I'm going to have to know how to get back up.  Here's a video of a guy doing exactly that.

Doesn't that look hard?  I think so.  I'm scared to learn it, but also excited.  I feel like if I can do this, I can do anything.  It just remains to be seen whether I can do it.

I also want to take a moment to point out how skinny this guy's legs are.  He can practically wrap a hand around his thigh.

For my entire life, whenever I decided to do exercise, I would invariably choose something that works one of the largest muscle groups: the legs.  Something like running or biking.  As a result, I have big, powerful legs that no longer work.  And I have to move around with my weakling upper-body.  I have put my eggs in the wrong basket, and I'm really looking forward to my legs atrophying and becoming more manageable.  I hope it doesn't take too long.