Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Who's up for a hip roll?

I have always found doing physio on my own to be almost unbearably boring. I'm alright working with a physiotherapist, but send me home with a list of exercises and you can bet I won't keep up with them. I have a hard time imagining anything less stimulating than sitting in a chair and slowly bending and straightening your wrists, or lying on the floor with a can of tomato juice under your knee (I can't remember why we employed the can of tomato juice, but I recall it vividly). Gradually arcing my back to the right? No, thank you.

Recently I've discovered that hip exercises are just about the worst. With apologies to the Arthritis Society, who really wants to do something called a "hip roll"? Especially when this is the accompanying animated gif:



Really?

I can't be the only one who finds these exercises painfully dull, and it's even worse when they're not only boring, but challenging and painful as well. I know they're important and I know that doing them regularly could help me retain range of motion, but I can't help wishing they were somehow more exciting.

All I can think of is trying to do them while I watch television. Any other ideas?

3 comments:

Wren said...

I'm so glad to have found a friend in boredom! (grin)

These exercises ARE absolutely mind-destroying, Helen. What's amazing to me is that as dull as they are, they CAN also be challenging and painful. Which means they can help. Sigh.

I guess the only way to really DO these things is simply put aside a time each day TO do them and then just suck it up and get busy, get it over with. Some of them, like the hand-exercises, can be done while watching TV, but if you're like me, you get involved in the show and forget that you're supposed to be multi-tasking...

There's no good answer, but I imagine any physio (love that word!) worth his or her stuff would say "Just DO them!" Perhaps meditating while rolling the hips would work??

Best to you, m'dear. Hope you're feeling good and feeling ready for the new challenges ahead with school. You're on my mind. :o)

WarmSocks said...

I'm told that one of the main differences between a physical therapist and an occupational therapist is in their approach to exercises. A good OT will learn about your lifestyle and interests, and find a way to build exercises into things you like to do. Maybe interview an OT to see if the person can help you.

Tazzy said...

Oh Holy Hannah.. I'm with you. BUT, I can first hand tell you these exercises really do help. We need to have some excitement... like may some chipndales on the tv or something.... gosh give a show on making chocolates!! anything but not JUST hip rolls.. hehehe Tazzy