PT, week 2

[cathyw]

my legs are jelly. I think that means I did it right.

today's session involved a leg stretch that involved a position I didn't think I could get my body into. also an exercise involving putting weight on my feet at different angles that reminded me of martial arts stances.

which led me to wonder if there is a park in the majority-Asian neighborhood in town where elders gather to do tai chi, and whether a fat white girl who doesn't know tai chi would be welcome to join in, or whether I can take tai chi classes through the community college or the parks and rec department. but that is for later.

for sooner: cassildra  and I were both thinking 'I would rather die young than do the elliptical but I need cardio, we should get an exercise bike' so yesterday we picked out an exercise bike and ordered it. we will be the proud owners of a Schwinn 170 as soon as they can mail it to us. (which means I need to clean up the space I want it to live in, of course. *external screaming* but it needs doing anyways...)

Comments

[cathyw]

it turns out yes, yes I can take a tai chi class through the community college if I am willing to exercise indoors with other humans in a pandemic. something to think about at least.

[iimpavid]

jelly legs is definitely "correct" for PT, I'm pretty sure.

You should definitely see if you can join anybody for tai chi! It's an exercise I've wanted to get into for a really long time... you've inspired me to look into it once more!

Also: good luck with the cardio ;n;

[cathyw]

I'd thought about taking aikido in the past but it never happened - but I did just look and my community college does have several tai chi classes available. (oddly in a church basement for the in-person ones instead of the fancy gym they just spent a lot of money building...)

I'm a little intrigued by the ones describing themselves as 'qigong and tai chi' - I know qigong as the 'spiritual energy' that cultivators/martial artists use in Chinese media. Will I be able to leap from rooftop to rooftop and along the tops of trees if I master the class? Conversely, will the class be woo enough to send me screaming, because I just want to learn a gentle exercise that I can continue with even once the arthritis really kicks in?

I'm reluctant to go to an in-person gym class right now anyways; heck, I should probably be testing for covid with the PT given how many people are exercising in there, even with required masking.

[iimpavid]

Too much woo in an exercise program is a huge turn-off for me, so I hope you can find a place that's a reasonable amount of chill.

But also: I'm with you on avoiding in-person stuff. Gyms are... notorious transmission hotspots.