Physical Challenges

I try not to make too many excuses in my life. I have had my failures and am usually able to realize what I did wrong and learn from it.

I also know that trying to do the same task in the same manner and expecting different results is the definition of insanity. So if I'm not getting the results I want I am open to trying another way.

Holding on to this mentality is proving harder than I anticipated as it relates to some physical challenges I have encountered in the last year.

Let me explain...

In May of 2010 I had my left knee scoped. I went through a few weeks of physical therapy and rehab and recovered quicker than I anticipate.

In September of 2010 I had my right knee scoped. I now have a matching set of scars. That is the only thing that matches though between the two experiences. I went through the same rehab process but the results were not the same.

For all medical purposes I have recovered from my right knee surgery. I have a full range of motion, I walk without a limp and my knee no longer "pops and grinds" when I bend it.

However, from a working out and athletic stand point I am not the same. My knee is almost always aching. At certain points when I bend my knee it feels like it isn't tracking correctly. Its prone to locking up and getting stiff.

These feelings did not encourage me to make it back to the gym last year. Workouts hurt too much. On top of not making it to the gym I also opted to soothe my frustration by eating for comfort.

I figure that much of the weight I gained in the last part of 2010 was due to the more challenging recovery from my right knee surgery and lack of workouts. I'm also certain that the plates of nachos I used to comfory myself didn't help either!

(I have two other reasons for which I blame the weight gain but I won't put it out there yet; its a bit to private.)

The thing of it is I have to go back to working out in order to lose the weight. There aren't many alternative options available or other ways to do things to get the same result of exercise.

Trust me if there was a way to burn calories without exercise I would be all over it!

This past week I have started back to the gym. I have found a few ways to modify my workouts. I'm starting off slowly and opting to do low impact activities like the spin bike and eliptical. I hope to some day get back to the workouts I enjoyed best (walking and running) but I realize I need to be patient.

My knee is aching still today after my low impact workout but I'm determined to keep moving.

Onwards and upwards.