Strange Contraption

I have wondered how this whole stretching thing Leah is insisting on is REALLY going to affect me. I've stretched before! I can bend over and try to touch the ground all on my own without an individual session at Carbon! I've done yoga and even have some of my old moves still handy. But, today really brought it together for me. I may be beginning to understand that exercise is about baby steps, taking care of myself, and not hurting. Stretching is a big part of preparing the body for muscle work. When we jump into exercise without preparing our bodies, we are hurting ourselves and defeating the purpose of the goal which is to feel better! Right?

Before we began the exercises, Leah helped me to stretch which always feels amazing. She noticed that my right leg is tighter than the other so she worked on it a little more.

After that, Leah put me on this strange contraption called the Reformer. It is basically a large padded massage table with various attachments and springs that attach to bands that go on hands or feet. Leah got my feet into the bands and attached the springs and we did some leg exercises. Halfway through, my thighs really started cramping. Leah stopped me and told me to relieve the cramping by opening up my legs to rest. Because my feet were attached to springs, the bands and springs actually assisted the stretch.

I learned something while doing this stretch. Leah says I'm very flexible. I didn't know that. All I have ever felt in the past several years is tight. Tight calves. Tight hamstrings. Tight lower back and rear. Today, I walked out of Carbon today feeling like my lower back and hips were on clouds!

The exercises weren't that hard today but I can tell it's going to get more and more intense as we go which I'm excited about. Leah says she is taking it easy on me for now because I'm in Rehabilitation Phase. She says I need to baby myself. I have to say it's been a bit annoying. It's hard for me to just take it easy. I haven't been gentle on myself when it comes to exercise EVER. I have always jumped in head first following long slumps of couch potato. For example, every couple of months I may get inspired and I may run as hard as I can for as long as I can or play intense tennis for two hours. Of course, I can hardly walk the next day. But that's what you have to do to lose weight? No wonder I failed.