I may have mentioned last week that I really, really enjoyed my hydrotherapy session on Tuesday and felt I got quite a bit out of it. Apparently the clinical (land based) therapists thought I had too. She recommended extending my time in the pool and switching both my weekly sessions to the water. As a result, yesterday's pool session was ninety minutes instead of an hour and I've got another scheduled for Thursday.
Let me just say that, while it's nice to be immersed in 4 feet of 92 degree water while performing my exercises and stretches, that pool session really takes it out of you. Sure, you don't have the fancy machines to assist with some weight training--they do have a submerged treadmill, however--but that hardly matters. The water itself provides both resistance and support that more than compensates for the lack of machines and weights.
Try walking normally across the pool with swim fins on. The need to really bend the knees to move the foot forward is really exaggerated. Stand on one foot while rotating the other first clockwise and then counterclockwise--ten times each-- and you really get a balance workout that strengthens the leg upon which you are standing and also work the muscles of the leg you are rotating against the resistance of the water.
Add a therapist who can really do some deep muscle/scar tissue massage with her thumbs in such a way that you would swear she's going right down to the bone.... The lady has some very strong hands!
Well, after a ninety minute session I was really pooped!
[UPDATE: I forgot to mention that I was just 197.4 pounds this morning. If this keeps up--or down as the case may be--I'll soon reach the weight I was immediately after the football season ended my senior year in high school: 192 pounds. I know, kind of light for an offensive guard/nose tackle. Still, coach wanted to know how much I ate for Thanksgiving since I started the season at 185.
If not for the knee surgery and physical therapy, and the dental problems (abscessed tooth leading to extractions and eventually an upper denture that has pretty much reduced my tasting ability) that preceded that, I would be concerned about the "rapid" weight loss. I was 220 on July 15 when I entered the hospital for the knees.]
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Our local Agway is closing up shop. The owner has two stores--one in Mansfield and one in Wellsboro just 13 miles down Route 6--and he has decided to consolidate to the Wellsboro facility. The close proximity of both a Lowes, with its huge garden section, and a Tractor Supply just down the road in Mansfield probably aided him in making this decision.
Before they close up, however, they are selling everything "down to the walls." That started last Friday and you couldn't find a parking spot for the days of the long weekend. Terry and I finally got there Tuesday afternoon and found that there was still a lot of great stuff to buy at excellent prices. We got a couple of bird feeders (30% off), ten bags of black oil sun flower seeds for less than $20 each (last year I paid as much as $27 for the same bags), and two pieces of bronzed metal trellis for the garden (20% off).
I'll be going back this afternoon for some more garden supplies.
I managed to move things around in the garage enough to make unloading and stacking 400 pounds of sunflower seeds relatively painless. The birds and squirrels will be happy this winter.
4 comments:
The hydrotherapy session sounds rather grueling; glad it's working for you.
You know, Paul, it actually doesn't seem that hard while you're doing it. (Except for the walking "normally" in swim fins.) It's after the fact that you realize they just put you through the ringer.
Sorry you are losing your Agway, but sounds like you are making the best of it.
Threecollie, it just means a little longer ride to get the plants next growing season. We bought most of our Bird seed, garden seeds and onion sets as well as potting soil, ice melt, etc, right here, however.
With that in mind, we went back today and got some of the things we will need this winter and next spring. Ice melt, garden soil, mushroom soil, peat moss, decorative stone, etc. won't spoil if we don't use them right away and the price was more than right!
After dropping over $500 dollars the last two days, the clerks were joking that they will see me tomorrow. They may be right.
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