Starting a Workout Regime with One Leg Tied Behind My Back
March 3, 2022 6:15 AM Subscribe
I had a physical yesterday (for the first time in 4 years) and some of the test results indicate I really really need to get into better shape. But: I'm still getting over a broken knee. Help me figure this out.
So I've generally done okay healthwise for my entire 52 years on this planet thus far. Generally I've had an...okay diet and an okay activity level; I could stand to lose a few pounds and eat a little more vegetables, but was still about average. Long weekend walks of several hours' duration, along with walking to and from work, have been my exercise.
Then I broke my knee a year and a half ago and spent the better part of five months sitting on my ass working from home (except for the physical therapy visits ). I still need the PT - I can walk normally now, and I can walk up and down stairs normally but still can't run at all - the strength simply isn't there. I was looking at starting a walking challenge this month, and my PT strongly encouraged it when I told her about it.
Then...yesterday, I went to my doctor for a physical. And there are a couple yellow flags on my record that had me spooked:
* I have a bit of high blood pressure for the first time in my life ever.
* I have some higher-than-average cholesterol for the first time in my life ever.
* There is a "2" in front of my weight for the first time in my life ever.
The blood pressure and the cholesterol are just a bit higher than they should be, which is leading me to suspect that having sat on my ass for the better part of the last year and a half has something to do with it. My doctor has given me a blood pressure cuff to check myself daily for the next month and see what's up; but this has also been a sufficient kick in the pants for me to change up some habits finally.
But the big concern is: The Knee.
So: is there a workout program - preferably app-based - that I can add onto that walking challenge that I would still be able to do? Or, does anyone have advice for adapting an existing plan to my current condition?
Also any other advice for incremental diet changes would be good. I'm generally okay there - my diet tends to get a little crappy in winter and come spring I tend to swing back towards something healthier anyway as the veggies start getting good again - but I'm thinking a a couple small changes like "switch to whole grain pasta" or "here's some good ideas for make-ahead healthy breakfasts you can grab and go" couldn't hurt.
So I've generally done okay healthwise for my entire 52 years on this planet thus far. Generally I've had an...okay diet and an okay activity level; I could stand to lose a few pounds and eat a little more vegetables, but was still about average. Long weekend walks of several hours' duration, along with walking to and from work, have been my exercise.
Then I broke my knee a year and a half ago and spent the better part of five months sitting on my ass working from home (except for the physical therapy visits ). I still need the PT - I can walk normally now, and I can walk up and down stairs normally but still can't run at all - the strength simply isn't there. I was looking at starting a walking challenge this month, and my PT strongly encouraged it when I told her about it.
Then...yesterday, I went to my doctor for a physical. And there are a couple yellow flags on my record that had me spooked:
* I have a bit of high blood pressure for the first time in my life ever.
* I have some higher-than-average cholesterol for the first time in my life ever.
* There is a "2" in front of my weight for the first time in my life ever.
The blood pressure and the cholesterol are just a bit higher than they should be, which is leading me to suspect that having sat on my ass for the better part of the last year and a half has something to do with it. My doctor has given me a blood pressure cuff to check myself daily for the next month and see what's up; but this has also been a sufficient kick in the pants for me to change up some habits finally.
But the big concern is: The Knee.
So: is there a workout program - preferably app-based - that I can add onto that walking challenge that I would still be able to do? Or, does anyone have advice for adapting an existing plan to my current condition?
Also any other advice for incremental diet changes would be good. I'm generally okay there - my diet tends to get a little crappy in winter and come spring I tend to swing back towards something healthier anyway as the veggies start getting good again - but I'm thinking a a couple small changes like "switch to whole grain pasta" or "here's some good ideas for make-ahead healthy breakfasts you can grab and go" couldn't hurt.
Best answer: I've been in a similar boat. I really messed up my back/hips/knees like 2+ years ago, and I went from being relatively active, a very healthy weight, etc to the heaviest I've ever been, and slightly elevated bp/cholesterol/etc. Here's what has been working for me:
For exercise, I'm not sure if this would work for your knee, but I've got a genetic condition that basically causes a bunch of my joints to be screwed up (hypermobile EDS), and I've found recumbent bike + water therapy to work best for me.
To help you get ready to get back into running, you can get an aqua jogging belt, and then you go "running" in the deep end of the pool. This means there's no impact to worry about, and you can also modify the range of motion and intensity as needed. Apparently this is a technique that some runner's use to get back into running shape when they're coming off of an injury.
(I've got a short waist and a bit more of an "hour glass" shape, and these aqua jogging belts do seem to be built more for someone with a more "masculine" figure, but I find it works for me if I use the belt upside down (so the triangle piece faces down, and then sort of strap it just under my bra line - that way my breasts kind of keep it in place)
Some of the diet changes I made (without having to completely overhaul things and without counting calories) were to switch all of the simple grains to whole grains - so use brown rice instead of white rice, whole wheat flour (specifically white whole wheat flour) instead of white flour. Also, I started eating a lot more quinoa. I discovered that quinoa + some quickly sauteed veggies and some olive oil or soy sauce makes a very healthy, filling, quick lunch which is infinitely customizable.
I also just decided that I was going to have one healthy serving of a healthy, "green" vegetable at lunch and dinner each day. So like Kale, Spinach, Broccoli, etc. As a bonus, kale and broccoli are great because they last well in the fridge compared to other more fragile veggies.
posted by litera scripta manet at 6:43 AM on March 3, 2022 [4 favorites]
For exercise, I'm not sure if this would work for your knee, but I've got a genetic condition that basically causes a bunch of my joints to be screwed up (hypermobile EDS), and I've found recumbent bike + water therapy to work best for me.
To help you get ready to get back into running, you can get an aqua jogging belt, and then you go "running" in the deep end of the pool. This means there's no impact to worry about, and you can also modify the range of motion and intensity as needed. Apparently this is a technique that some runner's use to get back into running shape when they're coming off of an injury.
(I've got a short waist and a bit more of an "hour glass" shape, and these aqua jogging belts do seem to be built more for someone with a more "masculine" figure, but I find it works for me if I use the belt upside down (so the triangle piece faces down, and then sort of strap it just under my bra line - that way my breasts kind of keep it in place)
Some of the diet changes I made (without having to completely overhaul things and without counting calories) were to switch all of the simple grains to whole grains - so use brown rice instead of white rice, whole wheat flour (specifically white whole wheat flour) instead of white flour. Also, I started eating a lot more quinoa. I discovered that quinoa + some quickly sauteed veggies and some olive oil or soy sauce makes a very healthy, filling, quick lunch which is infinitely customizable.
I also just decided that I was going to have one healthy serving of a healthy, "green" vegetable at lunch and dinner each day. So like Kale, Spinach, Broccoli, etc. As a bonus, kale and broccoli are great because they last well in the fridge compared to other more fragile veggies.
posted by litera scripta manet at 6:43 AM on March 3, 2022 [4 favorites]
Keep walking but pick up the pace slightly, gradually. Try an app that allows you to choose music by beats per minute (search on "bpm playlist" or "fitness tempo" for example). Start at 120 bpm and match your pace to that: 120 steps per minute. That's approximately 3 mph or a 20 minute mile. Figure out if that's pushing too hard for you or not hard enough. Adjust up or down based on your exertion level.
posted by cocoagirl at 6:48 AM on March 3, 2022
posted by cocoagirl at 6:48 AM on March 3, 2022
Response by poster: Already adding one additional data point to the (already excellent) advice in here - so, duh on me, I checked out the rest of the Darebee web site and have already found and downloaded what looks like a good month-long, bare-bones-beginner, "on-ramp" type of program I'm also going to start using - it also ticks the boxes I forgot to mention of "no exercise equipment", and "limited space", and additionally should be easy to squeeze into the hour between when I get home and when my roommate gets home. They also had an article with a couple tips for "ways to adapt our exercises if you have an injury", although they only had a couple of suggestions for knees - so I'm all ears about other Ways To Adapt there.
And they even had a couple free apps I've downloaded - one of which is for Exercises You Can Do In Your Office!
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:49 AM on March 3, 2022 [3 favorites]
And they even had a couple free apps I've downloaded - one of which is for Exercises You Can Do In Your Office!
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:49 AM on March 3, 2022 [3 favorites]
Rowing and biking are lower-impact exercises so often are easier for people with joint issues. They are also easily scalable: You can do either at an effort level that's easier than a slow walk, or insanely challenging, or any point between. Rowing also has the advantage of engaging your upper body.
But as always, the best exercise is the exercise that you actually do. If you like to walk, walk. And as cocoagirl mentioned, it's also scalable. If it isn't challenging enough, simply walk faster. (Olympic walkers are often fitter than marathoners.) And additional stair walking will definitely improve your leg strength.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 6:52 AM on March 3, 2022
But as always, the best exercise is the exercise that you actually do. If you like to walk, walk. And as cocoagirl mentioned, it's also scalable. If it isn't challenging enough, simply walk faster. (Olympic walkers are often fitter than marathoners.) And additional stair walking will definitely improve your leg strength.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 6:52 AM on March 3, 2022
Best answer: I'm in a similar boat (minus the broken knee, mine was a repeatedly torn calf muscle). Just had my physical last month and have similar slightly high numbers to you. Four years ago, my numbers were perfect. Having a hard time thinking what's changed since then.
Back then, I was walking twice a day and focusing on a lower carb diet. I felt full with more protein/veggies, which made me lose weight, which made me want to move more, and so forth. The adage of "if I don't buy it, I can't eat it" applies to me with having sweets in the house. Far better for me to buy a single donut or cake slice from the grocery store than a box of Oreos.
I'll echo the other comment about finding an exercise you like. For me, tennis is the only activity that doesn't feel like exercise, so going a week without playing is irksome. Hopefully you can find something (and walking totally counts) similar. I get bored walking my neighborhood, so sometimes will drive a short distance to get a change of scenery and variety.
posted by Twicketface at 7:11 AM on March 3, 2022
Back then, I was walking twice a day and focusing on a lower carb diet. I felt full with more protein/veggies, which made me lose weight, which made me want to move more, and so forth. The adage of "if I don't buy it, I can't eat it" applies to me with having sweets in the house. Far better for me to buy a single donut or cake slice from the grocery store than a box of Oreos.
I'll echo the other comment about finding an exercise you like. For me, tennis is the only activity that doesn't feel like exercise, so going a week without playing is irksome. Hopefully you can find something (and walking totally counts) similar. I get bored walking my neighborhood, so sometimes will drive a short distance to get a change of scenery and variety.
posted by Twicketface at 7:11 AM on March 3, 2022
I see you got the exercise covered but came in to ask if you can find somewhere to swim, because it's really, really great for those recovery periods. If there's a pool you can walk to, even better. Also if you happen to have an aquafit class near you, the people in aquafit classes (often older) are sometimes the most incredibly cool 50+ year olds around. here ends my add for swimming after injury. :)
Breakfasts:
- overnight oats with chia and berries for micronutrients, in mason jars (I use the 250mL, set them up for the week)
- due to living with my diabetic mother-in-law, our default "pasta" has become vegetables. I don't always bother to spiralize it either - I'll get a bag of the preshredded cabbage/coleslaw, saute it up, and then put the sauce + veggie 'meat'balls or whatever over it. Cauliflower rice is another ones. It's an acquired taste in some ways but it's a similar effort if that makes sense.
posted by warriorqueen at 8:09 AM on March 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
Breakfasts:
- overnight oats with chia and berries for micronutrients, in mason jars (I use the 250mL, set them up for the week)
- due to living with my diabetic mother-in-law, our default "pasta" has become vegetables. I don't always bother to spiralize it either - I'll get a bag of the preshredded cabbage/coleslaw, saute it up, and then put the sauce + veggie 'meat'balls or whatever over it. Cauliflower rice is another ones. It's an acquired taste in some ways but it's a similar effort if that makes sense.
posted by warriorqueen at 8:09 AM on March 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
Sorry that last isn't really a breakfast (although here...it sometimes is :))
posted by warriorqueen at 8:09 AM on March 3, 2022
posted by warriorqueen at 8:09 AM on March 3, 2022
If you think you might want to invest in dumbbells at some point, consider Powerblocks. They're very compact and it's WAY faster to switch weights than on the type with the plates and spinning collars.
posted by brachiopod at 8:10 AM on March 3, 2022
posted by brachiopod at 8:10 AM on March 3, 2022
You should be doing core work like crazy - for strength, flexibility, and balance. Many core exercises can be done from sitting or lying positions, where you don't have to stress the knee. Yoga might work, but also just stuff like pelvic tilts, planks, stretching.
You are going to need a strong core as you recover from the Knee and are in that general middle age where strength/flexibility should be your goal, and you can catch up on endurance/cardio stuff once your core is strong and can support your recovering knee.
posted by RajahKing at 8:24 AM on March 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
You are going to need a strong core as you recover from the Knee and are in that general middle age where strength/flexibility should be your goal, and you can catch up on endurance/cardio stuff once your core is strong and can support your recovering knee.
posted by RajahKing at 8:24 AM on March 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
The good news is that literally any “healthy” changes you make will likely cause an improvement. You can focus on diet now and later focus on movement, or focus on getting better sleep now and then sort out breakfasts, focus on getting enough fiber now and then focus on your mental health… Doing small things thoughtfully for one challenge will help address everything else because they are all interconnected. Blood pressure, excess weight, high cholesterol, slowness to recover strength after injury, etc are all things that can be caused by or changed by stress levels, and anything that shifts those stress levels down will be good, be it helping your digestion process things more smoothly via diet or building muscle along with the chemical releases caused by exercise or shifting your schedule so your rest is more restful and so forth.
My family all has quite high blood pressure and many of us have high cholesterol. Some things I’ve done to change my diet with an eye towards sustainable body maintenance include:
- Swapping canola etc neutral oil for avocado oil, which is pretty tasty, has a super high smoke point, not a bad swap for butter when viable, and is better for cholesterol levels for my body
- Engaging in very relaxed intermittent fasting (generally 18-20 hours fasting, two meals and a snack in the remaining 6-4, but only when not busy or traveling) which helped me learn how to be okay with being slightly hungry and helped me shed a lot of stress weight
- Changing my food shopping so I always have grab and go snacks like lots of unsalted nuts (I like to make my own “mixed nuts” from whatever I have, I need variety), popcorn I pop myself and then add seasonings to, my favorite raw vegetables, dried fruits that aren’t dredged in sugar, pickles of many kinds, cottage cheese and berries, tinned fish of many types… anyway this helps me not do things like eat a whole can of pringles in one go and if I’m doing the fasting thing it means I am not cooking while too hungry because I can have a fast snack asap when the “feeding” window opens.
- Buying a dumb stationary bike and plopping it in front of the tv so the barriers to a little physical exertion are as low as possible (don’t even need to put on pants if I really don’t want to). For you this might be having a free weight set for upper body strength training right next to your desk, or using an app, or whatever. Just remove all barriers and make the exercise something staring you in the face, even if it’s not ideal forms of movement or high intensity or blah blah. Just get your heart rate up regularly.
- Getting my medication needs addressed. I take a beta blocker for my high bp and sertraline for anxiety and an OTC antihistamine every day. The combination of these things helps remove SO MUCH stress from my body and allows it to take care of itself so much more capably.
Lots of good suggestions in the rest of this thread. Pick one small thing and if it sucks just move on to something else that doesn’t suck. Anything you try will make a positive impact on at least one issue you want to shift.
posted by Mizu at 8:26 AM on March 3, 2022 [2 favorites]
My family all has quite high blood pressure and many of us have high cholesterol. Some things I’ve done to change my diet with an eye towards sustainable body maintenance include:
- Swapping canola etc neutral oil for avocado oil, which is pretty tasty, has a super high smoke point, not a bad swap for butter when viable, and is better for cholesterol levels for my body
- Engaging in very relaxed intermittent fasting (generally 18-20 hours fasting, two meals and a snack in the remaining 6-4, but only when not busy or traveling) which helped me learn how to be okay with being slightly hungry and helped me shed a lot of stress weight
- Changing my food shopping so I always have grab and go snacks like lots of unsalted nuts (I like to make my own “mixed nuts” from whatever I have, I need variety), popcorn I pop myself and then add seasonings to, my favorite raw vegetables, dried fruits that aren’t dredged in sugar, pickles of many kinds, cottage cheese and berries, tinned fish of many types… anyway this helps me not do things like eat a whole can of pringles in one go and if I’m doing the fasting thing it means I am not cooking while too hungry because I can have a fast snack asap when the “feeding” window opens.
- Buying a dumb stationary bike and plopping it in front of the tv so the barriers to a little physical exertion are as low as possible (don’t even need to put on pants if I really don’t want to). For you this might be having a free weight set for upper body strength training right next to your desk, or using an app, or whatever. Just remove all barriers and make the exercise something staring you in the face, even if it’s not ideal forms of movement or high intensity or blah blah. Just get your heart rate up regularly.
- Getting my medication needs addressed. I take a beta blocker for my high bp and sertraline for anxiety and an OTC antihistamine every day. The combination of these things helps remove SO MUCH stress from my body and allows it to take care of itself so much more capably.
Lots of good suggestions in the rest of this thread. Pick one small thing and if it sucks just move on to something else that doesn’t suck. Anything you try will make a positive impact on at least one issue you want to shift.
posted by Mizu at 8:26 AM on March 3, 2022 [2 favorites]
The biggest motivation for my current weight control regimen was realising that at 59 I was simply no longer capable of carrying as much weight as I was and staying healthy while doing so.
I'm now controlling my weight by focusing solely on how much food I eat. I exercise for its own sake, as and when I feel motivated to, and not in any way as an intentional part of keeping my weight under control. At 60 years old I've done this kind of thing enough times to understand that getting the eating part right is at least 80% of the battle and I just don't have the spoons to put 80% of my effort into solving 20% of my problem.
After dropping from 166kg to 150, my back stopped hurting all the time.
At 140kg, I could reach the floor again or put on a pair of boots without grunting and straining and feeling like I was trying to fold a bowling ball in half.
I'm down to 126kg as of this morning, and in the past month I've engaged in more physical activity than I'd done in the year before seizing control of my no-off-switch appetite. I've been going for 5km walks. I've been spending hours at a time playing the drums. My blood pressure is back down around 120/70, my spine and hips and knees and feet don't hurt any more (even my heel cracks are no longer at Grand Canyon proportions). Exercise feels good again! It's no longer this joyless, relentless, guilt-driven slog that leaves me sore and exhausted. And on breakfast days I've been enjoying my food completely free of worry or guilt and having the eating experience itself feel better than it ever has before, purely for having been deferred.
Being hungry on fasting days sucks, but it's proved to be a manageable degree of suck. It certainly doesn't suck anywhere near as bad as hauling a whole extra person around everywhere I go. And although I've now become convinced that the unpleasantness of hunger is indeed inherent and that hunger signals are not really susceptible to being reinterpreted as neutral information, I've made a pretty thorough psychological job of recasting my fast days as deferred gratification rather than deprivation, which makes me feel very adult. On fasting days I spend a lot of time fantasizing about food - but it's never about what I can't have, because I know full well that I can have as much of anything I feel like eating as I want to, in just a few days, if I still want to by then.
And in point of fact, what I do want on breakfast days always seems to involve a hell of a lot of salads. OMG a salad with smoked almonds in it is so good.
So yeah, I'm pretty convinced that this is the way I'm going to be eating for the rest of my life, even having driven my weight into the 94 to 96kg range where I'd like it to stay, and that's genuinely not a distressing prospect.
Being healthy at any weight is a noble goal, and refusing to be treated as subhuman or otherwise morally deficient purely for carrying a lot of it is absolutely the correct attitude, but I've been fat and I've been lean and for ease of maintaining good overall health, lean wins. It just does.
I didn't have a dicky knee when I started this regimen but I did have a ruptured disc at L5-S1, so I'm well familiar with carrying an annoying and limiting injury that's slow to heal and easy to aggravate, and I can say with very high confidence that recovering from any such thing gets way easier after taking as much gravitational loading off it as possible, as fast as possible.
So in your position I'd be pursuing the weight control goal as the main priority and giving the knee more time, and I'd be doing that by putting my focus on designing some regimen that makes how much I eat depend directly on how much I weigh and that I could confidently expect to be able to sustain for the rest of my life. Fasting for three days in four works well for me, but I'm not you; you need to design something that works for you.
But there will be a tradeoff involved. I now believe it's simply not possible for human beings who run to fat if left to our own devices to maintain leanness without spending quite substantial proportions of our lives experiencing hunger, and that's something it took me nearly 60 years to get over being in denial about because it's so completely fucking unfair.
That said: if you can swim regularly, do swim regularly, especially if you can do it somewhere beautiful and outdoors. Swimming is good for the soul, never mind the knees.
posted by flabdablet at 8:30 AM on March 3, 2022 [3 favorites]
I'm now controlling my weight by focusing solely on how much food I eat. I exercise for its own sake, as and when I feel motivated to, and not in any way as an intentional part of keeping my weight under control. At 60 years old I've done this kind of thing enough times to understand that getting the eating part right is at least 80% of the battle and I just don't have the spoons to put 80% of my effort into solving 20% of my problem.
After dropping from 166kg to 150, my back stopped hurting all the time.
At 140kg, I could reach the floor again or put on a pair of boots without grunting and straining and feeling like I was trying to fold a bowling ball in half.
I'm down to 126kg as of this morning, and in the past month I've engaged in more physical activity than I'd done in the year before seizing control of my no-off-switch appetite. I've been going for 5km walks. I've been spending hours at a time playing the drums. My blood pressure is back down around 120/70, my spine and hips and knees and feet don't hurt any more (even my heel cracks are no longer at Grand Canyon proportions). Exercise feels good again! It's no longer this joyless, relentless, guilt-driven slog that leaves me sore and exhausted. And on breakfast days I've been enjoying my food completely free of worry or guilt and having the eating experience itself feel better than it ever has before, purely for having been deferred.
Being hungry on fasting days sucks, but it's proved to be a manageable degree of suck. It certainly doesn't suck anywhere near as bad as hauling a whole extra person around everywhere I go. And although I've now become convinced that the unpleasantness of hunger is indeed inherent and that hunger signals are not really susceptible to being reinterpreted as neutral information, I've made a pretty thorough psychological job of recasting my fast days as deferred gratification rather than deprivation, which makes me feel very adult. On fasting days I spend a lot of time fantasizing about food - but it's never about what I can't have, because I know full well that I can have as much of anything I feel like eating as I want to, in just a few days, if I still want to by then.
And in point of fact, what I do want on breakfast days always seems to involve a hell of a lot of salads. OMG a salad with smoked almonds in it is so good.
So yeah, I'm pretty convinced that this is the way I'm going to be eating for the rest of my life, even having driven my weight into the 94 to 96kg range where I'd like it to stay, and that's genuinely not a distressing prospect.
Being healthy at any weight is a noble goal, and refusing to be treated as subhuman or otherwise morally deficient purely for carrying a lot of it is absolutely the correct attitude, but I've been fat and I've been lean and for ease of maintaining good overall health, lean wins. It just does.
I didn't have a dicky knee when I started this regimen but I did have a ruptured disc at L5-S1, so I'm well familiar with carrying an annoying and limiting injury that's slow to heal and easy to aggravate, and I can say with very high confidence that recovering from any such thing gets way easier after taking as much gravitational loading off it as possible, as fast as possible.
So in your position I'd be pursuing the weight control goal as the main priority and giving the knee more time, and I'd be doing that by putting my focus on designing some regimen that makes how much I eat depend directly on how much I weigh and that I could confidently expect to be able to sustain for the rest of my life. Fasting for three days in four works well for me, but I'm not you; you need to design something that works for you.
But there will be a tradeoff involved. I now believe it's simply not possible for human beings who run to fat if left to our own devices to maintain leanness without spending quite substantial proportions of our lives experiencing hunger, and that's something it took me nearly 60 years to get over being in denial about because it's so completely fucking unfair.
That said: if you can swim regularly, do swim regularly, especially if you can do it somewhere beautiful and outdoors. Swimming is good for the soul, never mind the knees.
posted by flabdablet at 8:30 AM on March 3, 2022 [3 favorites]
Blood pressure, excess weight, high cholesterol, slowness to recover strength after injury, etc are all things that can be caused by or changed by stress levels
And vice versa, of course.
But the nice thing about causal loops is that you don't actually need to waste time on trying to find out where the "real" "underlying" cause is, because there isn't one. Interrupting such a loop at any point is enough to break or at least weaken it.
posted by flabdablet at 8:34 AM on March 3, 2022 [2 favorites]
And vice versa, of course.
But the nice thing about causal loops is that you don't actually need to waste time on trying to find out where the "real" "underlying" cause is, because there isn't one. Interrupting such a loop at any point is enough to break or at least weaken it.
posted by flabdablet at 8:34 AM on March 3, 2022 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: I've already started small change!
My office has a couple of overly-tempting food offerings: they cater our lunches 3 times a week, and I realized I was usually opting for more decadent choices because "wheee I get a gourmet meal and I didn't have to prepare it or pay for it", and there's also a well-stocked snack cabinet and I had developed a daily Doritos habit.
Today when I signed up for next week's lunches, I chose more modest and veggie-heavy options, and instead of walking down the hall for Doritos, I walked three blocks to Wegmans and bought up a bunch of baby carrots, snap peas, and nuts, and I'll be grazing on that for the next several days instead.
Also adding the redirect that I don't have access to a pool, unfortunately. Walking was always my best exercise before and did fine, and walking will help my knee and my PT has already cleared the walking plan I was going to try, so I'm gonna be doing that and adding a low-impact bare-bones-beginner Darebee thing. My only concerns still are "if the Darebee thing tells me to do something my knee can't handle, is there a way I can adapt it instead of skipping that thing entirely".
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:44 AM on March 3, 2022 [5 favorites]
My office has a couple of overly-tempting food offerings: they cater our lunches 3 times a week, and I realized I was usually opting for more decadent choices because "wheee I get a gourmet meal and I didn't have to prepare it or pay for it", and there's also a well-stocked snack cabinet and I had developed a daily Doritos habit.
Today when I signed up for next week's lunches, I chose more modest and veggie-heavy options, and instead of walking down the hall for Doritos, I walked three blocks to Wegmans and bought up a bunch of baby carrots, snap peas, and nuts, and I'll be grazing on that for the next several days instead.
Also adding the redirect that I don't have access to a pool, unfortunately. Walking was always my best exercise before and did fine, and walking will help my knee and my PT has already cleared the walking plan I was going to try, so I'm gonna be doing that and adding a low-impact bare-bones-beginner Darebee thing. My only concerns still are "if the Darebee thing tells me to do something my knee can't handle, is there a way I can adapt it instead of skipping that thing entirely".
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:44 AM on March 3, 2022 [5 favorites]
Darebee looks like it's got a pretty good forum going, and I'm sure you won't be the only one there with knee issues.
That said, if there's one thing I know about being 60 it's that taking my body seriously when it tells me what it will and won't tolerate, and reacting quickly to that, pays off way more reliably than sticking to a plan because it's a plan.
posted by flabdablet at 8:51 AM on March 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
That said, if there's one thing I know about being 60 it's that taking my body seriously when it tells me what it will and won't tolerate, and reacting quickly to that, pays off way more reliably than sticking to a plan because it's a plan.
posted by flabdablet at 8:51 AM on March 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: At the risk of threadsitting, I have already noticed a change within ONLY ONE HOUR:
Anything you try will make a positive impact on at least one issue you want to shift.
You're telling me. I got the healthier snacks about an hour ago, and then just now my previously-ordered lunch came in. I opened the box - baked chicken, roasted carrots, and rice and beans - and I stared at it and was thinking, "....I'm....not hungry for this now. I'll just take this home for my dinner tonight."
I have a feeling that could be very, very telling.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:37 AM on March 3, 2022 [2 favorites]
Anything you try will make a positive impact on at least one issue you want to shift.
You're telling me. I got the healthier snacks about an hour ago, and then just now my previously-ordered lunch came in. I opened the box - baked chicken, roasted carrots, and rice and beans - and I stared at it and was thinking, "....I'm....not hungry for this now. I'll just take this home for my dinner tonight."
I have a feeling that could be very, very telling.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:37 AM on March 3, 2022 [2 favorites]
Hello!
I was diagnosed with high blood pressure at 33 (thanks, genetics) - I was expecting it at some point, but not that early. I also had borderline high cholesterol, and I was obese. I have also had knee problems since .... forever (first knee injury I remember that was serious was at age 14).
All of those things are now in the past.
Changes I've made:
- lower carb helped my cholesterol levels a lot. Not officially low carb, but lowER than I was eating.
- blood pressure medication - the first one I was on was terrible, the second one was fine
- physical therapy (you've got this one going for you already) - I will say that biking was a no-go for me until after PT because of muscle alignment and strength problems. Rowing is still a no-go for me because of my specific knee problems. I know that biking and rowing are awesome for some people, but they don't work for me. I have a gazelle/elliptical type machine that works for me for cardio. I like it a lot, but I know you don't have space/equipment, so instead, check "fitness type" channel of youtube. The creator does a lot of knee friendly, low impact, no equipment, small space workouts. So if you want a change up from the walking, try those.
- I lost a lot of weight. Weight watchers helped for the first 50 pounds, the rest of it is coming off very slowly with calorie counting. But I took care of the other items while heavier.
You've got this!
posted by Ms Vegetable at 10:25 AM on March 3, 2022 [2 favorites]
I was diagnosed with high blood pressure at 33 (thanks, genetics) - I was expecting it at some point, but not that early. I also had borderline high cholesterol, and I was obese. I have also had knee problems since .... forever (first knee injury I remember that was serious was at age 14).
All of those things are now in the past.
Changes I've made:
- lower carb helped my cholesterol levels a lot. Not officially low carb, but lowER than I was eating.
- blood pressure medication - the first one I was on was terrible, the second one was fine
- physical therapy (you've got this one going for you already) - I will say that biking was a no-go for me until after PT because of muscle alignment and strength problems. Rowing is still a no-go for me because of my specific knee problems. I know that biking and rowing are awesome for some people, but they don't work for me. I have a gazelle/elliptical type machine that works for me for cardio. I like it a lot, but I know you don't have space/equipment, so instead, check "fitness type" channel of youtube. The creator does a lot of knee friendly, low impact, no equipment, small space workouts. So if you want a change up from the walking, try those.
- I lost a lot of weight. Weight watchers helped for the first 50 pounds, the rest of it is coming off very slowly with calorie counting. But I took care of the other items while heavier.
You've got this!
posted by Ms Vegetable at 10:25 AM on March 3, 2022 [2 favorites]
Best answer: If you have access to a small pair of dumbbells, or even wrist weights, I’ve recently started this ‘dumbbell only’ beginner lifting plan. It requires no equipment beyond two dumbbells and a bench, and I don’t have a bench, I just do everything lying down on the floor. It’s really quite satisfying.
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/frankoman-dumbbell-only-split.html
posted by bq at 1:58 PM on March 3, 2022 [2 favorites]
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/frankoman-dumbbell-only-split.html
posted by bq at 1:58 PM on March 3, 2022 [2 favorites]
Best answer: I've seen tai chi suggested as being good for core strength/general stability. It's often recommended for hypermobility/EDS, but I bet it could be a good option for gently building strength/mobility.
posted by litera scripta manet at 3:14 PM on March 3, 2022
posted by litera scripta manet at 3:14 PM on March 3, 2022
Best answer: This is so minor, but if you get into the raw vegetables as snacks concept (as it seems you are!) and aren't trying to reduce your salt intake, go to Sullivan Street Tea & Spice and buy some smokehouse salt to dip your vegetables in. It is a fantastic accompaniment to baby carrots and snap peas.
posted by snaw at 4:27 AM on March 4, 2022
posted by snaw at 4:27 AM on March 4, 2022
Response by poster: Right: I'mma mark this resolved (but am still open to hearing other things) after a progress update, one of which came from a surprising source.
* I am on day 2 of the walking challenge today.
* I put out the call on my Buy Nothing group for dumbbells and a scale and people are giving me both this weekend. When I get that I'll start in on another simple Darebee plan that it expressly said was "designed for people recovering from injuries."
* I'll be getting yet more carrots and peas over the weekend, and I have a recipe for a spice blend in one of my cookbooks that was also designed for raw vegetables - there's also something I just got in the Rancho Gordo box that can also work for that.
* I have scaled down my selections for the catered lunches.
* Best of all: I recently got promoted to being the company's Office Manager for the NY location, and just had a meeting with the purchasing manager who said that some of the office supplies stuff would now be my job. And - that will at some point include buying the office snacks. So - I could use that power to buy healthier snacks. (Heh.)
I think we're off to a good start.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:30 AM on March 4, 2022 [2 favorites]
* I am on day 2 of the walking challenge today.
* I put out the call on my Buy Nothing group for dumbbells and a scale and people are giving me both this weekend. When I get that I'll start in on another simple Darebee plan that it expressly said was "designed for people recovering from injuries."
* I'll be getting yet more carrots and peas over the weekend, and I have a recipe for a spice blend in one of my cookbooks that was also designed for raw vegetables - there's also something I just got in the Rancho Gordo box that can also work for that.
* I have scaled down my selections for the catered lunches.
* Best of all: I recently got promoted to being the company's Office Manager for the NY location, and just had a meeting with the purchasing manager who said that some of the office supplies stuff would now be my job. And - that will at some point include buying the office snacks. So - I could use that power to buy healthier snacks. (Heh.)
I think we're off to a good start.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:30 AM on March 4, 2022 [2 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
Carrot, celery, cauliflower, broccoli, snap peas, snow peas, fennel, whatever you like. Avoid veggies you dislike. This isn’t a punishment! Also, be aware that soft or wet veggies like cucumber or peppers will get a bit slimy by the end of the week if pre-cut - whole mini versions will work though. Even small sticks of of raw turnip and beet are pretty good. Raw cabbage and radicchio leaves cut into big pieces are good too.
The trick is to do all the prep at once, and make the containers one large perfect serving of assorted very healthy finger food.
If you make zero other changes, this will still be great- its adds a ton of fibre, water, and vitamins to your day, and all the crunching will curb the urge to snack on other things.
In terms of exercise - could you swim?
posted by nouvelle-personne at 6:26 AM on March 3, 2022 [15 favorites]