The joys of exercising

You may wonder what’s joyful about exercising, but this former couch potato is really enjoying the feel of my body firming up.  I’m exercising to strengthen my leg muscles and in doing so to give my knee some help so I’m not walking on bone.

You know what?  It’s working!  I haven’t had a severe pain in my knee for weeks and I’m exercising it hard.  The little twinges I get now and then I’m treating with rest and ice.  It seems miraculous to me.  It was only a few months ago that I was talking to a specialist about knee replacement.  He said my knee wasn’t ready for that step, (good doctor) and sent me to physical therapy.  It took 1 1/2 weeks of physical therapy (3X/week) to send the pain away and three months or more to strengthen my legs so I could exercise.  Yes, it was that bad.

Once I was through physical therapy I signed up with Curves.  This is an exercise club for women that uses circuit training – a 30 minute workout.  When I first started with Curves I was really careful of my knees, but once I’d seen my doctor I began to work cautiously, but really work the legs and knees.  You see, my doctor had said “No squats” but also told me to do the rest of the exercises and keep it up.  He said I didn’t need him any more.

Isn’t that great news?  I know I sound over enthusiastic, but I saw myself going downhill fast.  My next birthday is going to be the big 70.  I didn’t want to start that decade in a wheelchair.

So, I lost 5.5 inches my first month.  I’m into my second month and beginning to climb stairs again.  (That’s a hard one for me.)  I haven’t lost much weight yet, but I expect it to go down.  My blood sugars are down and so is my blood pressure.

I don’t know why I fought exercise so hard.  With the Curves program I am making new friends and find myself just visiting away the workouts (while working out, that is).  I see other winners in the group and that encourages me.

So, yes.  In my 69th year, I find joy in exercising.

Marilynne

P.S.  If you sign up with Curves, mention my name and my blog.