PT: Day 8

Monday's PT Session:

6min Elliptical Warmup on level 3
Warmup Hip Stretches
Hip Rollout and Butt Muscle Massage
Side Steps - 60in each direction
Bosu Squats - 20 reps with 5 sec hold
One Legged Squat and Place - 10 cones now so 20 squats per leg
Leg Extension - 30 reps each leg
Cage Stretch

Though I haven't posted about it yet, I did finish my 5K.  I promise more about that later.

Following my 5K, my feet and knees were sore.  My right hip acted up during the 5K, but not afterwards.  My hamstrings were also sore.  So entering PT yesterday, I had a bit to talk about with my therapist.  Thankfully, it doesn't look like I hurt anything.  I just needed more assistance working out the knots in low under used muscles than I'd initially thought.

Something I haven't added in my PT workouts which does exist at some point is my Hip Rollout.  It's not an exercise I can do to myself as IT HURTS.  But not in the irreversible harm kind of way.  More in the this is for your own good kind of way.  It's good that I'm learning what that is.  Otherwise it would be very hard to tolerate the exercise each time I'm in PT.

To do the Hip Rollout, I lay on my side with a pillow between my knees (to protect my back).  The therapist takes a foam roller about 6 inches in diameter and 2 feet long and rolls it down the outside of my hip and leg.  She continues to add pressure using her own body weight until either it stops hurting or some amount of time has gone by.  Then I turn over and we repeat.  This exercise is supposed to help my IT band relax and alleveiate the pain in my knees.  It works!

Due to my extra sore state on Monday, she added what I can only call a Butt Muscle Massage.  Laying on my stomach, the therapist used her elbow to put pressure on various points around my butt cheek.  While she was applying the pressure, I bent the knee of the leg she was working on and moved it back and forth.  When the muscle would stop hurting below her elbow she'd move to a new spot.  This was done to both butt cheeks.  And it WORKED!!!!

Apparently part of the problem with my spasamy muscles is my inability to adequately stretch them out.  This is something I'm going to continue working on.  Of couse, I also have to get warmed up before I can stretch adequately again.  That I can do.