A common question I am asked is:
"What are the best exercises to strengthen my knee/hips/shoulders/elbows/back?"
In other words, what exercises are there to strengthen my joints??
So first things first, the usual disclaimers: I'm not a physio or anything, I'm no expert, and this is not advice in any way at all. It's just something for you to think about and help you get on the right track.
Back in the hospital today for regular checkup and change of plaster. Apparently healing very well and my ankle is now back in a new pot with a nearly 90 degree bend on it. So in another 2 weeks time I should be in with final new plaster or maybe a boot. So still hobbling on crutches for at least another 2 weeks.
When it comes to your health and wellbeing, first and foremost you should listen to the medical experts. Also, because there are so many variables here, I will only be able to give general guidelines. You cannot and should not think of anything I say here to be specific advice to you personally.
That being said, my experience of helping people return from injury or surgery has taught me a thing or two. And I actually snapped my achilles tendon at the start of July, so am having some first hand experience of this!
Back in the hospital to check how everything has gone. 17 days after the injury and 10 days after surgery.
My first adventure through town in the rain and then on the bus and all was good. The consultant had a very quick look at how things were and tried to bend my ankle a bit. It was having none of it! I'm not sure if it was because the foot has been kept totally immobile all this time, or because of the stitches or because it was still really bloody swollen, but it didn't want to move!
Monday 17th July. Started off playing with the bench press. Not much legs involved so can still play with those. Thank you Anna for making sure I stay safe!
And after playing first thing in the morning, I get the phone call from the hospital...Can I make it in midday for surgery that afternoon! Woo hoo! It's happening!
So cleared my diary for the rest of the day and a special big thanks to Jo who swapped her training session with me for driving me into the hospital!
I had my check up at the hospital this morning. Didn't need a scan in the end. The guy heard how it happened, took 1 poke at it and said yup, total rupture. It seems it has snapped a bit higher than usual. He said it normally goes down close to where the tendon attaches to the heel (as seen in the picture below). But mine has gone a bit higher, closer to where it attaches to the calf muscle.
Slight change of tone in these articles for the next couple of months I'm afraid. Just to give you a fair warning, you may or may not be interested in the content.
As you hopefully know, I have started taking a stroke rehab class on Friday afternoons at Craven Fitness Centre (click here for all the details).
I gave a little talk at a stroke survivors social group this morning. It was to tell people about the rehab group class we are starting in January.
