May 2007

Weekend of May 5 & 6, 2007
Trampoline Aerobics

My husband and I assembled my trampoline again in the backyard. It got only a couple of months of use last year before I broke my ankle in July. This is my third year of having a full-size trampoline for my own private aerobics workouts. I love traditional floor aerobics and have done this form of exercise for years, on and off. As I have grown older and beaten up my body with rough jump landings, I have become more interested in low-impact exercise. This is especially important to intermix with jogging, which is high impact, high calorie-burn. I also find running very rewarding because progress is concrete and directly measurable in terms of distance and speed. On the trampoline, I can also practice aerial skating skills such as rotations and split and stag positions.

When I workout on my trampoline, I bring a small boom box and plug it into an outdoor electrical socket. I pull it toward the trampoline and turn up the volume. The last CD I used before I broke my ankle was still in the player and the entire device covered with cat hair. It had not been touched since last season. I remember the sad day last fall when my husband took the trampoline down and piled the pieces in the storage shed without my help.

Just being able to jump on the thing after such a terrible injury is miraculous. To remember where I was last summer and most of the fall, I am astonished by how far I have come. I rarely limp anymore; only when I have exercised hard and my joint stiffens afterward. This usually happens in the evening if I jogged that day. Bouncing on the trampoline allows me to flex my ankle on a soft resilient surface and regain range of motion. I still lack a few degrees of original flexibility. I am so happy to be back on that trampoline. It reminds me of how I used to dance around my bedroom as a teenager to my favorite songs on the radio. Decades later, I still feel the same sense of freedom and joy.

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Memorial Weekend 2007
Getting Back in Shape

I have been running every weekend but not during the week. I am lucky to get on the trampoline or do some weights and ab exercises on a weekday, because I am so exhausted both physically and emotionally after work. My job has tested my patience since I went back over seven weeks ago. I have been meaning to prepare a journal entry about it, but at the time of this writing, I have yet to do so probably because the news is not good. I have had exceptional misfortune in the past year with injuries and my professional situation. Now I understand what the cliché “one day at a time” really means. That is all I can handle. The fact that I will do some sort of activity after work maybe once weekly indicates that I am dealing with my predicament, knowing it will be over soon, and emerging from survival mode. Caring for my body has become important to me again.

My formerly injured leg still has not regained its muscle tone. My upper body looks flabby. I have packed on a feminine amount of lard around my hips and abdomen. That has to go before the family reunion my husband and I plan to attend in August. I do not want to look like a side of beef in front of relatives I have not seen in years. If that doesn’t motivate me to get moving, nothing will. Considering how long and how seriously I was injured between my ankle and then my hand, I should not be surprised with my current lack of physical conditioning. My husband is very kind. When I complained about the weight I have gained, he said: “All you need to do is start exercising regularly again.” In other words, I don’t look that bad, I just need to tighten it up a little.

So I have been jogging. I am not up to longer distances which for me are a mile or more. I run about a half mile then stretch and walk. I do this repeatedly to build endurance. This method worked for me when I took up this sport a couple of years ago, and it is working again. I am running farther, faster, and for more individual spurts. After limping around for so long, being able to jog is pure delight. It feels like a personal triumph. And nothing burns calories like a good run.

I went out on a cool, muggy morning for my usual walk/jog. My hand swells when I work out. My therapist said this is normal considering my injury. She said I should hold my arms above my head and pump my fingers to reduce inflammation and encourage blood flow. So I do this while I am running and during walking rest periods. I don’t know how much it really helps. My stamina has certainly improved. In the humidity, I built up quite a sweat and felt a nip on my lower leg. I had sweated off my insect repellant and the buffet was now open.

Aerobic exercise makes me feel so good. It enhances my self-confidence and helps me to focus on something other than my difficulties. I can be happy about my recovery and abilities that I used to take for granted. I am getting back in shape.

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