Warming up for rehab

I’ve noticed that, when I do my hydrotherapy in the bucket of warm water, things go much better for me rehabilitation-wise.  Today, while at the climbing gym, I decided to warm up on the stationary bike and, once the blood was flowing fairly well, try some rehab while still pedaling.  It worked to an extent.  It wasn’t as warm as I would’ve liked it to be, and if it had been, I think I would’ve gotten farther with it, but it was sufficient to count as rehab for the day.  I’m still going to do my grip therapy and my hydrotherapy this evening.

My ultimate goal for the day was to do some more rehab traversing, but the climbing gym was full of little kids and there was no way that was going to happen.  Yet another reason I climbed on the stationary bike.  Chad and Dian both told me that it would be good for my stamina when I returned to climbing, too.  I love my climbing buddies – always looking out for me!  So, the stationary bike it was today.  Twenty three and a half minutes of it.  I could’ve gone a lot longer, but I felt like I needed to work back into it slowly, lest I be so stiff that I can’t move in the morning, or even later tonight.  The stiffness of my osteoarthritis is setting in.  I can feel it.

I hope that, when I see the ortho again on the 18th of January, he’ll just say, “Keep doing what you’re doing,” and not make me go to physical therapy.  I hate PT.  I absolutely hate it!  I can do it myself.  I know I can.  Just give it time…