Hey, It's a Mini Gym Workout...

I've so far went for 4 physio sessions. The first 2 were pretty uneventful as the therapist thot that my ankle was still too swollen to work on. "It's hollow....see??? " she poked her finger on the swell n sure enough there was a temporary dent on my ankle. So it was ultrasound-cold pack which was slapped on at each session.

The physio area is quite interesting...familiar machines like the treadmill, stepper, cross trainer, stationery bikes (yessssss) & simple weight machines are available...together with yoga mats, fitballs the place actually looks a like a small gym.

Started off the session with a 10-min ride on the bike (oh yesyesyesyessssss). Then came the balance workout -

Therapist (a certain Miss P) : Y'know, ppl usually sprain their ankles coz their balance is bad. If their balance is good they could've kept fr falling...
Moi : Izzit ?? (ok....i gotta admit that balance isn't one of my strongest points....it's one thing i have to constantly work on for my dancing)
Miss P : (Thinks I'm not convinced) Ok this is what I want you to do. Stand on ur right foot n move ur left foot to the front of ur right foot then to the back....do this 30 times....then switch over n stand on ur left leg n repeat 30 times....
Moi : (Ok....I can do that....no sweat....)
Miss P : .....with ur eyes closed....
Moi : (OH SHITTTT....)

It wasn't simple....but I improved with every session.

Next balance workout....Miss P dragged in a plank with 2 arched legs...kinda like a rocking chair n put them between 2 railings.

Miss P : Now....stand on the plank....rock forward & hold for 5 counts....then backward & hold for 5 counts....WITHOUT moving ur body....use ur ankle joints....
Moi : (i can do this....i can do this...)
Ms P : ....without holding on to the railings....(what da...do these ppl go for KGB torture courses??!)

If that wasn't bad enough -
Miss P : remain standing on the plank....(passes me a ball)....now bounce the ball on the wall n catch it when it bounces back....30 times....
Moi : (Boingboingboingboing.....)
Miss P : (a short while later) 30 times already ??
Moi : Nope....70, 80 times.....(gloat, gloat)

I automatically pulled my posture upright as i normally do during dancing...it helped to maintain my balance. Wow....i didn't know that salsa can help in physiotherapy :p

Some resistance training added on with giant elastic bands - can be done at home using a huge bath towel.

Latest workout (added on in 4th session) -
Miss P : Use the sides of ur big toes to lift the ball, count till 5 ten lower down, 20 reps....then repeat with ankles n then sides of ur feet....

This one was a great workout for the quads as well.

One more week to go, so i'll be milking those sessions for all they're worth.

My Poor Car

Me & my car (past & present) have always had a wonderful relationship. They're some of my most faithful companions...they're not flashy, but we've gone places together & they've always brought me to my destinations safely. And I always return the favor by making sure they're regularly serviced & kept neat. Ppl who've been in my car can attest to that. So when a faithful companion is injured, you can imagine the wrath on my part.

Was on my way to see Doc yesterday when I approached a motorbike which has a side wagon. The wagon was piled high with metal sheets & all sorts of stuff you can expect to find from a junkyard. It was obvious that the wagon was overfilled as the bike driver was driving at snail speed & was struggling to keep it moving.

Seeing that, I decided to overtake the vehicle as I had a chance to do so. There was a clear stretch of road ahead of me shortly before the turning into Doc's office. However as soon as I overtook, the lights turned yellow & I knew I wouldn't be able to make the turn. So I hit the brakes & went as far as I could before I stopped, knowing the bike was behind me.

3 seconds later....there was a screech & a huge jolt at the back of my car. Before I know it, the wagon was stuck at my friend's side. The bike driver (an Indonesian) came to my window with a shocked look. He apologized for not being able to stop on time....my suspicion is that the bike's brakes were faulty as well & added to the overweight wagon, my poor car stood no chance even though it stopped a distance from the bike.

I asked to see his boss, but he said that he works for himself. He may or may not be lying; anyhow I have a nagging feeling that he may not even be legit. It'll be no use lodging a report...besides that may even trigger a chain effect which will eventually impact the family he may be trying to support. There's no way that he could afford to pay for the damage, so I'll just put it down on bad luck.

*SNIFF* My friend's disfigured...

Knock us as much as you can....me & my faithful friend shall bounce back.

90% Healed??

After 6 weeks, there's still a bulge around the ankle joint which can jolly swell up towards the end of the day. Some days there's a sporadic dull pain & on other days it was fine. It's kinda eating me that it's taking that long to recover & wonder if there's any hidden injury that I'm not aware of...

Forced the GP to give me a referral to an ortho specialist who reassured me that the ankle is healing; however since it's a bad sprain it'll take longer than usual to fully recover. He then put me into 2 wks of therapy.

Doc just declared that I'm now 90% recovered....how he got the number baffles me.

But 2 docs saying the same thing can't be wrong.

I Survived Gym!!

After a near 6-week absence from the gym, I finally returned to the Happy House Of Torture. With Doc's advice in mind, I headed for the area which no one will see me go before my injury....the treadmills & machines section. Being a regular group exercise groupie, I brace myself for another 4 wks of boredom. I survived a 1-hour workout with almost no strain on my bad ankle & hey, it didn't swell up as I feared it would.

Even though I have limited workout options, I'm glad that I can do something to strengthen my legs & at the same time keep the rest of my 40-year-old body from the effects of gravity. I know it'll be hard to watch others do my fave RPM, BodyJam, BodyCombat & BodyPump tracks...but I guess I'll have to wing it for the time being.