{"id":2932,"date":"2015-01-04T10:02:54","date_gmt":"2015-01-04T18:02:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogadmin.plantlust.com\/blog\/?p=2932"},"modified":"2024-01-24T06:41:42","modified_gmt":"2024-01-24T14:41:42","slug":"a-list-of-sorts-for-2015","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/plantlust.com\/blog\/happenings\/a-list-of-sorts-for-2015\/","title":{"rendered":"A List of Sorts for 2015"},"content":{"rendered":"

This post is personal, because in this busy brain of mine, all things are connected, and though I mean\u00a0to write about gardening, I need to write this first. You may stop reading now.<\/p>\n

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I\u2019m not much for resolutions, though I do have a mental\u00a0Rolodex of good intentions. And because it\u2019s that time of year, I thought I\u2019d note them on paper. It comes as no big surprise that the bulk of my list looks exceedingly familiar. I\u2019d love to know if your lists are anything like mine.<\/p>\n

Exercise<\/em><\/strong>. Do more, of course. Hasn\u2019t this been on everyone\u2019s forever list? I\u2019m pretty good about daily walks, quick-paced for two or three miles. On this point, it helps to have a dog. Pumpkin can tell time. Once it\u00a0hits nine o\u2019clock, time to put on my shoes: we are going.<\/p>\n

\"Pumpkin<\/a>
Pumpkin employing Chow Chow mind control<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

My son tells me I have to up exercise\u00a0intensity. His all purpose recommendation for long life: Deadlifts & Squats. Squats, sure, I\u2019m working on that, and it’s handy for the garden. But deadlifts\u2014we\u2019ll just see. His argument is compelling and has to do with posterior chain strength. Sounds reasonable, and as soon as he adapts his Rx\u00a0for my stature, I’ll give it serious\u00a0thought. And then get clearance from my doctor.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"No<\/a>
no 300# dead lifts for me<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

And that leads me to a wee wrinkle in the ole exercise plan. As I\u2019ve mentioned a few times, I super duper broke my arm a year ago October\u2014and now physical therapy exercise is\u00a0premier on my list. I\u2019ve made great improvements, maybe back to 75%, but that last 25% is pretty important. My physical therapist (PT) told me not to plan on a lot of gardening this year, and I thought, oh pshaw, imagining myself to be King Kong. But turns out, she was right.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"My<\/a>
my bionic arm is not as cool as it looks<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

I only recently came to understand that I have to do these shoulder exercises for life! WHAT? How did I not know that? My PT said, \u201cWell, if you didn\u2019t want this to be so difficult, you should have broken a less complicated joint.\u201d I love\u00a0her. The timing of her message was perfect. This is my shoulder. I want it to work as optimally as possible. This is what I have to do. Grumbling won’t\u00a0help. Please pass the purple band.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"you<\/a>
start with light weights & work your way up<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

I also see another doc who practices Active Release Technique<\/a>. I credit my daughter and son who insisted I seek alternative treatment when my surgeon started talking a second surgery, Manipulation Under Anesthesia (MUA.) I mentioned this to my neighbor, also a\u00a0doc, and he said, \u201cI\u2019ve seen that surgery.\u201d Pregnant\u00a0pause. \u201cIt\u2019s gruesome.\u201d I’m so glad I went the non-invasive\u00a0route. It’s been incredibly helpful, and my ART doc has also helped me adjust expectations about ever\u00a0being “done.” He suggested I think of\u00a0my shoulder exercises as a way of getting started with whole-body exercise; so I\u2019ve adopted that\u00a0philosophy: PT is my Gateway Exercise. Please borrow this quip\u00a0if it helps.<\/p>\n

Another thing my physical therapist said that was inspiring: you gain so much by doing so little<\/em>. So I hope you can use this too. It sure helped adjust my attitude. These days, she also talks about the\u00a0importance\u00a0of\u00a0shoulder health for all. I never would have thought of it. Would you? And so now every exercise that I do for my left shoulder, I also do for my right. It helps me see how far I\u2019ve come\u2014and reminds me how far I still need to go.<\/p>\n

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