Wellness

It seems I'm fully immersed in the Wellness Program of the University rehab program set up by University of Utah. I had my doubts going into the program since it doesn't even start are open till three o'clock in the afternoon and traditionally been well wasted physically by that time. But I said I would give it a try and I have and am indeed glad that I did.

I have had a bit of a challenge wrapping my mind and life around retirement. There is so much time to fill I was becoming worried that I would just be a set at home retiree but with the wellness program and exploring other volunteer options in my neighborhood I am finding my day quite full. I'm doing Wellness three days a week, at least, and I have been a discussion with folks at the Heritage center here in Murray and I can see if I don't watch out I might overextend myself timewise. Who would've thunk? I am also trying to cook more at the house and that to is filling my days. Trips to the market to gather fresh vegetables for dinner and take a couple hours. I'm traveling mostly by UTA and that seems to be working well. True if I chose to drive I can see I would not get any more done because of the physical expense I would spend getting into out of the van and just driving to say nothing of the risk. I will explain this further in another blog later this week. So my days are becoming full and I am pleased with that. I am also finally exploring more art options. I found a good art store on 2100 S. that's right on bus route and got some supplies and now I must push myself to draw more possibly and paint. The weather has not been ideal yet but we have had a few days of extremely nice weather in the 70s and I can see travel of the delightful once the other stabilizes.

Wellness is interesting. The program is pretty self-directed now have gotten all the preliminary physical baselines out-of-the-way. The facility just off 2100 S. 11^th East is fairly accessible by public transit. I can get there and back on a regular battery charge though sometimes I have charged for an hour after a workout. I have a trainer and that is interesting. I'm still just a few weeks into this project and I think I am a little over excited… I want to do more. If anything I feel a little frustrated in that I don't feel I am being challenged enough. I would like to be pressing more weight but the trainer says I need to pace myself. One builds muscle by actually tearing down previous muscle, interesting. So the first day I have a fairly rigorous workout using the arm machine, and the rowing machine and a couple others. I work out for an hour and that's it. The next day I go I work on just one or two of the weight machines and spend the rest of the time stretching and a lot of the stretching I can do at home which is cool. But the middle day is mostly stretching and letting the body recover. The third and final day of the week I work out is again more strenuous. The arm bike I can see and feel can be a fairly rigorous workout pumping and ever-increasing strain for eventually 30 min. at a time. I am currently pumping just 15 min. and that's okay. I know once I get to that 30 min. mark I will be quite exhausted. Still I feel I could be doing more but I will defer for the time being but my trainer says have faith in her wisdom. So I go to the workout and it is 45 min. to an hour and I'm usually out of the center by for clock and home by five if I make my corrections. So this is about the same time I was usually getting home.

The best part is I can feel I'm losing weight which is splendid. My transfers are getting better my pressure releases are better and I even think my spasticity might be coming down which is really great. I am even making more salads for the evening meals I think that is helping too. I am feeling good, not necessarily great yet but I think I could see that coming. I am even contemplating getting back into the pool and swimming at least once or twice a week. Maybe even getting my hand bike repaired back out onto the road.

I'll discuss more about the project I'm working on at the Heritage center which will and include managing a Facebook account that to seems exciting if not a little daunting.