11 weeks post-op: beginning training

Yesterday was 11 weeks post-op. 

This week's big news: Monday I had an assessment with a personal trainer at the gym. 

I've been feeling proud of how far I've come — walking several days a week, down 48 pounds total and 32 since surgery, off three prescriptions. I've been enjoying yoga and the gym. 

And although all of that is true and important, equally true is that I'm really, really out of shape. Realizing that was humbling.

Sal, my trainer, said he starts everyone off with a 5-minute warm up: 1 minute each of jumping jacks, high-knee steps, kicking butt steps (these are my names, not his), squats and burpees. He told me to take a break whenever I needed it. 

I did the jumping jacks, with two breaks. My body felt so awkward. After a long break, I did a minute of kicking heels to butt, again with a few breaks. Another break, and I did a minute of squats, focusing on form (sitting back, knees over heels). We skipped high knees and burpees. 

Sal asked me questions after each exercise. Did I feel it in my breath? Muscles? Balance? All of the above, I said. 

Next I did a line of walking lunges, followed by arm circles. After that, Sal took pity on me and we finished talking (he checked in on nutrition, things we would work on, etc.). 

In my mind and heart, when I joined the gym, I committed to 1 year. So Monday I committed to 1 year of one training session a week. 

Gulp. 

Expensive. Intimidating. Exciting. 

Week 3 at the gym

Tuesday, I went to the gym and walked on the treadmill. I was stressed, and I pushed my pace and increased my time by another 2 minutes for a total of 34. 

Today, Wednesday, I had my first session with Sal. He took my measurements and then we went into a classroom downstairs. We started, as he'd promised, with the 5-minute warm-up. I did 1 minute of jumping jacks, with breaks; 1 minute of high-knees, with breaks; 1 minute of butt-kicks, with breaks; and 1 minute of squats, no breaks. Today Sal put a chair behind me when I did squats so I would feel safe going lower, knowing I wouldn't fall. It totally worked. 

We tried lunges next, but my trick knee was tricky. Then we moved to some upper-body: with a 5-lb. weight in each hand, I started with hands together in front of me, then raised my arms to shoulder height. Three sets of 12 reps. I was hot, sweating, flushed. My arms shook on the last reps. I was ready to keep going. Sal decided we were done. I didn't argue. 

My approach to the gym has been to be very gentle and very reasonable with myself. The first two weeks, I wanted 20-30 minutes on the treadmill, three days a week. I could have done more — but I didn't want to do so much that I became miserable and didn't want to go back. The beginning is partially about physical activity — but equally about building habits. Finishing my first session ready for more seems perfect.