PT: Day 17

Monday's PT Regimen:

6 min Elliptical level 4
Prone Press Ups Right Side - 2 sets 10 reps
Swiss Ball Squats - 10 reps with 5 sec hold

The Swiss Ball Squats involved me doing a squat with my back against a swiss ball against a wall.  I lower down until my thighs are parallel to the floor using the ball for support to allow my back to curve properly.  I hold the squat for 5 seconds and then raise back up.

Bird Dogs with Stick (this is the name the therapist used for the Arm/Leg Back Extensions) - 20 reps each side
Side Steps with Band
Modified Planks - 3 reps with 30 sec hold
Modified Side Planks - 3 reps each side with 20 sec hold
Assisted Crunches on Swiss Ball - 2 sets 10 reps

For this exercise, I lean back into a reclined position on a swiss ball while holding a weighted pullie in front of me with both hands.  I tense my abdominal muscles and then slowly allow the weight to pull me up to sitting.  The therapist tells me how far up constitutes sitting by feeling for the point where my abs "pop out".  This has been translated to me as the point there they can't stay tensed any more under the activity I'm doing.  Strange enough, I do need her to tell me this; I can't yet feel when that happens.

Cage Stretch

I felt pretty tired after yesterday's PT, but it was a good tired.  My abdominal muscles let me know that they were still there and I slept like a rock.  It's good to know that I can continue working out these non-responsive muscles.  The new exercises are harder and I'm beginning to really be able to focus on the correct muscles in the ones I've been doing over and over.  Whew!  Yeah for progress!