So, the Pilates must be working because I’m getting slower going up hill, not faster. And skating? That really fatigues me.
I know, it seems like a contradiction. Aren’t I doing Pilates to make my life easier? Yes, and no. I’m doing it to make my life easier someday. I’m doing it to make myself stronger now and in the future. And as part of this what I’ve really found is that through Pilates I’m activating muscles that haven’t worked in years. Some of them are muscles that were disconnected during the surgery, but not all. Some are muscles that just stopped working, or worked less, years before the surgery, when I was compensating for pain and discomfort.
Now those muscles are awake again. And, they have to work. Well, I suppose they don’t have to work, but my body wants them to. Anyone who has recovered from a surgery will know this feeling; anyone who has started a new exercise or weight lifting routine will know something similar. You get the burn, that’s undeniable burn. But, with this it’s a little more than that. For me, going for a skate or hiking up a hill and actually using the muscles that haven’t been working, or working correctly, in years goes beyond burn. I get fatigue. I feel like I’m doing twice the work I’m actually doing. But, I also know that the muscle is rebuilding, and that next time I’ll be less fatigued, feel less burn. Keep up this combo of Pilates and life and I actually might be back in my pre-surgery form before too long.
On another note: those exercises on the Cadillac, where I circle my leg in the air, they are actually becoming a bit easier. I have more turn out in the hip, and less fatigue. Nice when things come together this way.
