Pet Therapy

I’m writing this as I sit in my recliner, recovering from knee surgery. While it wasn’t a full replacement, recovering from an arthroscopic procedure still takes time. But, fingers crossed, I will continue to recover well.

As you would guess, I am not very good at sitting around and being bored. I expected this downtime, as it is the fourth time I’ve been through this procedure, but it doesn’t make it any easier for me to sit on my duff. On the plus side, however, I’ve had time to think (scary, right?). 

As it stands now, I am back to doing the basics: getting to the bathroom, showering, getting dressed … and most importantly, attending to my boss, Trudy.

Small Package, Big Expectations
If you don’t know, Trudy is my four-year-old mini dachshund and a real piece of work. As much as I love her, she is a very bossy companion. As her owner, I take full responsibility for raising her to be the spoiled diva she is now. In other words, I have no one but myself to blame for having to live up to her expectations during recovery. Here are a few of those “expectations:”

• Taking her up the stairs. That dog of mine is very particular about bathroom time. Although others may be nearby, Trudy prefers (demands, really) that I am the one that lets her outside. So I knew I would have to climb fourteen stairs six to eight times a day. 
• Getting down on the floor. Trudy is short, but that doesn’t mean she likes it. As a result, she is prone to moments of insecurity that have her begging me to get down on the ground with her so she can talk to me on her level. 
• Giving her regular affirmations of love. (We all need that, right?)

So today, let’s talk about how this gives me a leg up (pun intended) on my recovery. 

Be Prepared
I believe in being prepared, so in the months leading up to the procedure, I made sure to adapt my training in the gym to prepare me for still being a servant to Trudy. Here’s what I focused on :

• Push-ups. Since I would be minus a leg, I would need to keep my upper body strength up. Climbing stairs and getting up and down from the floor would require a lot of upper body strength, and a push-up is one of the best exercises for mastering your body weight.
• TRX Rows. Another upper body movement that would help train me well when it comes time to pull myself up the stairs.
• Modified Turkish Get-Ups. The ability to get up from the floor is essential for everyone. That statement is so important that I will repeat it: you must be able to get up from the floor. In my case, I would need to be able to do it with only one leg. So I practiced every day.
• Step-ups. Fourteen stairs are relatively few, but it can be demanding and dangerous when you’ve only got one good leg to work with and are using crutches for the first week. 

You may not have a demanding dog to care for, but chances are, regardless of what you have going on, you can’t afford to put your life on hold. I know I can’t. 

Every day at the Bodysmith, we help people just like you function their best now while preparing for the years ahead. If you want to age with strength and grace, get a hold of me. I’d love to see how I can help.

~Coach Brad