6/30
Okay maybe I get to the gym and do some “pull ups” with a spotter on the smith machine? Like, get the legs on the ground, and just work on pulling up and letting my legs be on the ground?
Doing some research into what infants do between the crawling and the walking stage. Turns out they are up to a whole lot! Talking to more and more parents about this, and it’s fun getting any and all ideas from them about this idea!
Rectus femoris, please kick it into gear! Help my knee stabilize and my hips get in extension! Bicep femoris, relax a lil and let my quads kick in! You’re so gosh darn tight! Gastroc’s and Soleus, it’s your time to shine! Help my toes and feet stabilize! Tib anterior, ex digitorum longus and hallicus, please join the party! It’s a good time! Come on fellas, let’s kick it into gear!
Sisters birthday! Did some FaceTime! Hope she likes the grill!
So, I made it over to Jake’s!
Okay, I’m sitting in the car, taking a quick break, and I’m really feeling my left gluteus medius!! That’s the outside of my hip! I really had a good session over at Jake’s today, and I was really focusing in on some much more controlled movements! We ended up throwing a plank up on the wall, to help give me a better chance to hold myself up, and to help get more straight, stretched out, and a few more interesting things!
I ended up doing some mini squats when I was up there, and I also did some single arm raises, which was an excellent choice! This really helped me focus in on engaging my quads, and really helped me improve my hip stability! The first couple reps were tricky, as I was focusing on kneeling as tall as I could. But they were getting easier and easier! And that’s when I figured I was going to be ready to try to take a couple steps!
So when I would get into a 3-point position, I was much more stable, in control, and feeling my body much more than before! This let me slow down and really focus in on moving my hips and kicking my leg out!
7/1
So I woke up with a couple ideas, working on a couple crawling things. First one being to try crawling up steps? And then the other being to work towards pulling myself up on something and into a half kneel?
I’m feeling really engaged with my legs, my lower body, everything! I was really happy last night when I noticed I got up into bed and laid flat, and my legs didn’t spasm, and they were pretty darn stretched out! I figure that can’t be a bad thing!
Crawling around on the floor right now is a wild thing. Like, what on earth am I doing? Explaining to my niece that I’m “crawling on the floor today” was such a wild experience. She’s very inquisitive and interested. So at least she was engaged with what I was saying, but it was all still odd, to say the least!
What’s really wild, is making sure I keep my core engaged, while doing exercises and movements in the long sit position. I feel how I can be putting extra strain in my back. It’s not great having to “relearn” all these movements with the rods in me, but I’m hoping it will pay out dividends, by me spending this time to get in touch with my body. Okay, so this is interesting. I’m really needing my quads to kick in. I’m really working on helping them! If I can get them to contract the most in their shortest position, that should help!
When’s enough, really enough?
Also, I just realized the feeling I had from longer ago, early on in my healing journey, where I would savor the moment I would get to wash my hands with running water. It sounds weird now because I shower everyday. But that really just wasn’t the case. It was something I didn’t get to experience very often, and I really appreciated it. Like, a lot. I guess it goes to show how some of these simple things in life aren’t quite so simple when they’re gone. Without having the ability to wash our hands, I’m sure there would be a few of us that would not be so happy! Crazy to think about.
So, what’s interesting, is I crawled for an hour, went to the gym and punched the heavy bag, and then came home to take a nap. After I woke up, my legs were “charged up” and ready to get at it all again! But this also means they are tight, and I have a thought about this. What if the tightness is muscle activation, but poorly timed and not coordinated? I’m at the gym right now to do back exercises, and I’m trying to work thru that coordination! Just by doing more exercises, one day at a time, asking and recruiting my body to help is where I’m at!
I made it to the gym and tried something new, and I tried to do the sit-to-stands in the smith machine by myself. What happened was I ended up slipping off the butt of my seat, and had to holler in the gym for help! Fortunately there was someone to help give me a push back into the chair, phew! That was a close one!
I am down on the floor right now, and this would be exercise number 4 for the day! I’m feeling really good about this! Just one accident tho earlier….. it’s really not so glamorous having to change pants cuz my bladder is trying to figure out when he needs to go! But besides that it’s been good!
So, I’m up in the standing frame, and today has been a great day. It’s been really good getting this body moving to the point that I know I can! My body really needs to move, and I want to so much! I have been working on my breath, by taking a breath during the “push”, and another breath during the “pull”.
Going over to Jake’s yesterday, I noticed how my back and shoulders are so tight! Reaching overhead is HARD.
7/2
Why do you have to let a baby move their body on their own when they are learning to walk?
Low light laser therapy? Red light – 660nm
What muscles are used to stabilize during chest workouts? More questions for the day!
So, today was another good day. I really worked my whole body, like quite a bit! Turns out I didn’t have time to write down my thoughts, but that’s okay, productive days sometimes don’t need words!
7/3
Okay my morning crawling workout routine is as follows:
- Forward crawl to long sit
- Backwards crawl to long “I” lay
- Forwards crawl to long sit
- Long sit crunches and back bends
- Rinse, repeat.
I can do this all myself!!!
Holy crap, this is the first time I was able to do bent over lateral raises, with two hands, and by myself! MY LEGS WERE HOLDING ME UP!!! This is absolutely crazy, because this is such a “quick” change! It feels like an overnight change! This was amazing!
“Tai Chi walking?”….
Light therapy in the brain? Florence Nightingale, hmm more notes for future reading!
7/4
Well, it’s interesting….. turns out I don’t have much to report on except the fact we really didn’t do much today, except a nice visit at Ian’s! That was a nice visit!
7/5
So, I’m thinking a lot about this new perspective that I have on life, and how I think this has been one of the most remarkable ideas and experiences that I have been able to take away from all of this whirlwind of a year. Like, I don’t think that it’s really even possible to think about all of these thoughts unless something truly life altering happens to you. There’s more to expand on this idea, but sleep for now!
7/6
Okay, it always feels like it’s been a bit when I take a chance to take some morning notes. I’m not sure when the last time it was, that I did this, so I would suppose it has been a bit. As I’m laying here in bed, I’ve been able to notice and pick up on so many changes this past week! It’s honestly been crazy. I might need to get a few more stools to leave at all these various places to make sure I have a way to get up and down from the floor!!
Wow, I just looked at Facebook messenger, and the messages I had last sent, and people had sent me. This is wild, because, I hadn’t checked this since. So it was interesting to see, the truing stand, the bass amp, the craftsman drill press stand, all these things I had either bought, sold, or listed. The one guy had actually reached out to me I see, on June 2nd. I was very much in the thick of it. Sad to see that part of my life take a turn, but I’m still glad to be here and moving forward. Still really hard though.
So, it’s 10:39pm, I’m finally taking some notes….. I’m tired, had a good day of stretching out and moving a bit, so not bad for a “rest” day. I think it’s good I’ve been working into a groove of what a rest day means for me. I’m really trying. These 4-a-days have really been kicking my butt! Can’t stop though, there’s too much to get back to!
The Astronaut on Earth 
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