What a Blast!

[hounddogs]

Cathe,

After being unable to do impact cardio for months due to stubborn plantar fasciitis, I finally reached the date upon which the podiatrist said I could up the ante.

I reached for Step Blast, as I'd only limped through it when it first came out and got very discouraged. I'm sitting here drenched in sweat, and utterly delighted by the routine. I have missed your cardio so much. Thank you for intelligent, creative, athletic and flowing programs that never fail to motivate.

BTW, my cardio capacity has really suffered...I used the blasts during the challenge as recovery times, so I've got a long way to go, but will enjoy getting my lungs back with this DVD. SJP here I come! :9

--Ann

 

[luvmydogs]

Hi Ann!

Obviously not Cathe, but I wanted to wish you all the best as you work towards your fitness goals! I'm sure after dealing with that nasty plantar fasciitis for months, you're anxious to get going again!

I'm so happy for you that you had such a wonderful and encouraging experience after you completed Step Blast! That's a workout that really makes me smile (and groan), too!

I hope you're feeling 100% again, and I'm sure with all your obvious motivation, you'll be reaching your goals in no time! Thanks for posting--your enthusiasm is really contagious!

 

[cdanko]

You must be so happy! How long did your podiatrist tell you to stay away from impact cardio? I have the stubborn plantar fasciitis too. I know I should rest it but I can't not work out. Just wondering how long you kept off the impact? Thanks

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

Hi Ann! Welcome back. I had such joy reading your post. I can so relate to the feeling of returning to your once loved regular program after nursing a nagging, slow healing injury. About 15 years ago, I had very bad achilles tendonitis and had seen a podiatrist for 6 months (this was back in the days when I taught old style aqua aerobics barefoot in a cement pool and proper footwear had not yet been invented). I thought I would never rid myself of the pain but sure enough, after following strict orders and lots of therapy prescribed by a podiatrist, I was able to get back to my usual program.

Some beneficial advice...only if you are interested, of course. Come back cautiously and keep up with the stretching and strengthening exercises you learned in therapy. You will still have good and bad days but they will really spread out over time. You may aways be prone to experiencing signs of it re-occuring. If so, cut back a couple of days with ice and rehab exercises, still doing other workouts that are not demanding on your foot during those days. With each and every day you will come to learn your boundaries better and better. You will become such a great judge of what you can do, can't do, and are able to do better on certain days than others. You will learn what types of workouts are better on non-consecutive days and when to back off completely on a given day. This will all contribute to a future of comfortable workouts for you. Take Care!

 

[hounddogs]

Many folks recover much more quickly than I did. I walked around in denial ("it's just a stone bruise!") for five months. By the time I got treatment I had to stay off my feet, never mind no standing exercising, until I was pain-free for ten days. Then I could gradually add in activities one at a time (like seeing what your baby's allergic to) every ten days. I added regular duty at work, followed by standing weight work, followed by long dog walks, followed by low-impact, and finally Step Blast. My total time away from impact was about five months. I rode a bike, but that's not my favorite cardio. Good luck to you. It's very hard to stay down, but for me it was necessary.
--Ann

 

[hounddogs]

Cathe,

Thanks for the sage advice. I will take it to heart. I've lived a long time under the mistaken impression that my feet were bionic.

--Ann

 

[Bobbi]

Hi, Ann. I am happy for you too! PF sidelined me for 9 months and defied conventional treatment, i.e., cortisone and PT. I finally opted for a Plantar Fasciotomy and I am going strong. It was so pathetic. Forget running, I could barely walk. I lament that there are so many people out there with perfectly good feet who don't know how to use them and I get stuck with these high-arched, biomechanically unsound dogs! So here's my wish that your feet do well and a blessing for great podiatrists!
Bobbi http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/chicken.gif "Chick's rule!"

Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

- Mary Oliver