exercise after surgery

[maureen]

I recently had shoulder surgery. I will be off upper body work
for awhile, but what lower body exercises can I do? I carry more
weight in the lower body and I dont want to gain anymore or lose
the muscle tone that I have. I need some that dont require using
your arms or weights. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Debra]

Hi Maureen,

I often do lower body work with body weight only. Trust me - lunges, squats, the hamstring work using a tall box, are still effective. So you could do BodyMax as an example, skipping the upper body work or Circuit Max without holding weights. There is a recent thread about floor work (meaning legs) that you might find interesting. You could do floorwork with ankle weights or the genie ball. When your shoulder rehab allows it, it might be a good time for kickboxing videos too. Swimming with a kickboard is another option.

Hope your recovery is rapid! Debra

 

[maureen]

Thanks Debra, I am anxious to get back into something. Have you
ever tried Pilates? I have been exercising with The Firm and Cathe videos for a couple of years now. I just wonder if Pilates
would keep me tone.

 

[Debra]

yes!

I started 2xweek Pilates mat classes around Labor Day. I backed off around New Years when lots of beginners with health issues started the class & it changed the tempo & type of exercises. DH gave me 3 private Pilates sessions on the equipment as my Christmas present which I'm using now. The instructor recommended Stott's new mat series. I've previewed the intermediate tape & love it. I'll be switching to videos w/ an occasional tune-up with an instructor.

Before I gush any more, I might be just as enthusiastic about yoga if I'd found the right tapes/instructor/style.

I think you could maintain tone w/ Pilates but not build a lot of strength unless you used the equipment. My mat classes used the Stott fitness circle & Thera bands (like Dyna bands - tubing would work too) for resistance. I didn't feel it replaced my upperbody strength training only because we didn't do enough reps & only 1 set. Similarly for lower body work. But boy was I surprised at how some of the isolation exercises had me ready to squeal!

I took Pilates primarily to build core strength & to master diaphragm breathing. It's done that & I've gained flexability.

Pilates or yoga might be a great route for your shoulder rehab since you have total control of the resistance level. There are some mat exercises that you probably have to skip - planks, "the swan" etc, that really work the shoulders. But like I posted before, this might be a great opportunity to work on torso strength or flexability. The rehab process is soooo frustrating!

Debra

 

[maureen]

RE:Thanks

Thanks for the info. I am going to try a tape. I think it will
really help with core muscles so that when I get back into kick
boxing etc it should compliment that. Also after three kids, my
abs always need work. This way if I do this and walk I wont feel
so bad about missing my workout tapes.