Adventures in Physical Therapy
Last week, my physical therapist had me try out a new contraption. I hesitate to call it a machine, because this was just a wooden frame with some sort of pulley system, and seemed more conducive to being waterboarded than being rehabilitated. (As a side note, the only time I’ve seen this contraption being used was by a dancer from the Joffrey Ballet.)
I clambered on, laying flat on my back while Physical Therapist put my feet into straps. The straps were of course connected to the pulley system, but being flat on my back and not really understanding which way the pulleys were pulling, my legs flailed and kicked and tried to figure out what the hell was going on.
“This is called The Reformer,” Physical Therapist said, mercifully holding my legs together.
“Of course it is.”
“Now push your legs together and lift them straight into the air without tilting your pelvis.”
“Um. You know my legs don’t really do that, right?”
It took a few minutes of teamwork to get my legs working with the pulley system and not against it. Then Physical Therapist said, “It’s really great because it forces you to stabilize your abs while moving your legs.”
Oof. Indeed.
And today at PT, she used something brilliantly dubbed The Stick® on my outer left leg, which has resulted in… let me count… thirteen reddish brown bruises.
I thought this was supposed to making me feel better? Lest you think I exaggerate, see here, here, and here.
* * *
current book: Moving right along in On Beauty, and am insanely jealous that Zadie Smith is only three years older than I am.
current music: Trying to decide if I can go to the Brighton, MA/Canasta show tomorrow night. I have a borrowed car for the weekend, which makes it feasible, but I also have to be at Montrose Beach at 6:30 on Saturday morning. I caught myself saying today, “but it’s only seven miles.” I am officially nuts.
current socks: Sandals! Flip flops! Peep toes! It’s summertime, y’all!
Posted 7 June 2007
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I LOVE the reformer, my pilates teacher uses it with me. It was created by Joseph Pilates, a hard working German who was trying to devise new ways of rehabilitating injured athletes, dancers, and war vets. At first it was a little scary but now that I’ve gotten the hang of it, I feel like I’m a trapeze artist – albeit a horizontal one – and my teacher always has to drag me off of it to move onto the next thing.
Ha ha, I’m pretty sure I am genetically predisposed to never feel like a trapeze artist. My mom came and visited me a few weeks ago, and she was doing some yoga and commenting on how tight her hamstrings always were. Yeah. Thanks for the inflexibility genes, mom.
But next time I’m on the Reformer, I will try to at least think like a trapeze artist, even if I look clumsy and stiff.