About eight years ago I
thought I’d have to give up my fitness career—or at least the
group exercise classes that I loved to teach. My knees were hurting so
bad that I could hardly walk let alone teach three aerobic dance
classes every other day. Just to get into my condo, I had to climb 14
steps; to get to my loft bedroom I then had to climb another 14 steps.
I couldn’t give in to knee pain!
The
medical doctors all initially suggested knee replacement. However,
they also said that if I had joint replacements at such a young age
(52 years) I might wear them out and need to have another one
somewhere down the line. At
that time I was told that you could only have one total knee
replacement in a lifetime. You could do partial first—then you could
have total later on. None of these options impressed me.
Since
I’ve never been fond of anybody cutting into my body, I looked for
other options. I went to an alternative medicine doctor who suggested
Glucosamine/Chondroitin. Methylsulfonylmethane
(MSM) or dimethylsulfone, an organosulfur compound, was another
option. Some
pilot studies of MSM suggested benefits, particularly for treatment of
osteoarthritis.These three compounds (Glucosamine, Chondroitin,
and MSM) have been known to ease joint discomfort and even build
cartilage. This doctor muscle tested me and found that MSM was what I
needed. I started taking
it and felt an improvement almost immediately.
During
my research, I read that changing one’s diet could make a big
difference in joint problems. I specifically read about alkalizing my
body, thus eliminating the acids that cause pain. The standard
American diet produces a lot of acids in the body; the body then
attempts to store these acid wastes away from the vital
organs—often, in the joints. Acid can cause all sorts of pain. An
alkalizing diet is one in which you eat mainly fruits and veggies
while eliminating highly acid foods: meat, dairy, wheat, sugar, soda
pop, alcohol, corn and mushrooms. As I changed my diet and alkalized
my system—Voila!—I was
pain free. The whole process took less than two weeks for me to feel
the wonderful, pain-free effects. I threw away the MSM and never
looked back. To this day I am pain free and enjoying my alkalarian
lifestyle.
Not
everyone is as blessed as I’ve been regarding knees improving
through non-surgical means. If you’ve already scheduled your joint
replacement surgery, here’s one very important step that will help
you recover faster: exercise before the operation! Your surgeon will
give you a notebook full of great information. Don’t neglect the
pages that include exercises for pre-surgery.
These are very simple exercises but if you are diligent about doing
them everyday as recommended you’ll come out on the other end so
much better. In fact, your recovery time will be almost cut in half.
After
surgery there will be at least 6 weeks of physical therapy. Don’t
even think you can get away without this—it’s vital! After
physical therapy it is essential to exercise regularly and
consistently. You’ll want to use all the exercises that are included
in your manual for post-surgery
rehabilitation. Of course it is also wise to incorporate other
exercises for other parts of your body. For example, if you are having
knee replacement surgery then all the physical therapy will be on your
affected knee. But you can’t neglect your other leg—or the other
muscles in your body. Thus, it is very important that you find a
fitness program that encompasses all your major muscle groups.
Marie
is a client, who had double knee replacement surgery in July, 2006.
She is adamant about the fact that her surgery, rehab and recovery
were accelerated due to pre-surgery exercise. Indeed, the surgeon and
the physical therapist were very impressed with how quickly she
mended, especially since she was 70 years old at the time. The summer
of 2007 found Marie hiking as many trails as she could fit into her
schedule. She really feels like a new woman because for so long she
suffered with arthritic knees and walked with a cane. When Marie came
to see me about 8 weeks after her surgery I didn’t recognize her
immediately because she looked so much younger and alive.
She was walking upright without the aid of a cane. Marie is
sold on exercise and staying fit. She works out three times a week and
is getting stronger and younger every day.
Another
gal I know had a hip replacement in December, 2006. She started
working out in June of 2007. Her doctor was amazed at her progress and
how fast she got back to “normal”. She is so dedicated to exercise
that when she travels she is always looking for a gym or other place
to workout. She remarked that she’d never have pictured herself
looking for somewhere to exercise while on vacation—but that’s
exactly what happened.
Exercise
can be addictive—and that’s a good
thing. The endorphins that are released during cardio-exercise are
the body’s morphine. Strength training builds lean body mass and
that translates into your body using more calories just being you. It
also means that you’ll be losing inches, but maybe not pounds. So if
your clothes fit looser but the scale stays the same, it simply means
that you are replacing fat with lean body tissue—it weighs more but
takes up less space.
For
quality of life, energy in your step, and a vastly improved mood, just
remember: you can’t beat exercise!
Bonnie
Murphy
is the owner/trainer at BFIT and Well, a personalized fitness studio
in Anchorage. Call to schedule your free fitness assessment.
907.229.37652 or Email: bonnie@bfitandwell.com
Website: www.bfitandwell.com
