So here I am again for the 900 millionth time rebuilding muscles from being sick. Sometimes it’s from being injured or having surgery. It’s amazing. One thing I notice is that the older I get the more difficult it is to rebuild muscle. Still, it happens, and I’ve already learned that life demands patience and the faith that things will improve.
An added incentive for me is that my amazing 97 year old artist friend, adopted mom, and mentor collapsed on the floor of her little cottage and was taken to the hospital. She’s now in a home because her legs gave out. She has no muscles in her legs. She is from a generation — my mom’s generation — one in which women in sports or female athleticism was not considered a good thing. “Muscles on women? Heaven forfend!” The goal of rehab was to help her get back behind her walker by helping her develop muscles in her legs. The last I heard it’s not going well, and she’s confronting the horror we in this country of “rugged individualists” face of figuring out a way to pay for a residential nursing home/rehab center.
“Yikes, Martha, if you live that long, it could be you!”
It matters for so many reasons, not the least of which for me is that I might face a knee replacement down the road (or in my own yard). First, I don’t want to. Strong legs take the pressure off of our knees. As for the surgery, I just don’t want to. I’ve managed to evade that particular knife for almost 20 years. But who knows? I’ve also learned how strong legs help reduce rehab time so IF…
Yesterday the Bike to Nowhere took me on a beautiful ride through the Austrian Alps to some high glaciers. I was finally able to ride at a normal speed and to enjoy myself. Those are two very very important things. People are motivated do what they enjoy, and there’s more to a work out than muscle. For me none of this has ever been a “should,” as in “you should exercise.” It’s something I have always loved to do. My friend’s recent experience has just brought home how important it is. I don’t want to think about that, but it isn’t like I don’t know.
I’ve always thought that legs are incredibly beautiful. Maybe this is because my dad’s didn’t work right or maybe it’s because I have always gotten so much joy from what my legs could bring me — forest trails, mountain trails, desert trails, boulders and rocks (up and down), races, bike rides, ski trails and more. Great stuff, wonderful stuff. When my right hip went south I learned about the structure of the leg and hip and wow. It’s a thing of beauty and subtle engineering. I figure I owe my legs a little something at this point in my life after all the pleasure they’ve given me.
Featured photo: My dad and I setting up my first bicycle to be a stationary bike for him. I was 12,
“Summer is the season of inferior sledding” - Inuit proverb 
.Thanks for the detailed picture of leg muscles. It’s more complicated than I thought. Now I’ll know what they’re talking about in PT
I found it really helpful when I had to do PT to KNOW what they were talking about. 😉
I am very impressed with people who can do things like convert a street bike to stationary.
My dad was a master of crude carpentry. You see he’s using a hammer 🤣
I need a bike to nowhere….
They’re great. Mine is 50 years old!
We had one.. It fell apart a few years ago
Wow
You’ve got the right attitude, because it turns out “use it or lose it” is true.
A doc I saw recently for my SI joint issue offered this pithy saying: Motion is lotion. (I.e., movement keeps things lubricated and functioning.)
I like that, “Motion is Lotion.” Synovial fluid is a very good thing.
Yes, use it or lose it and motion is lotion applies to us all, and the older we get, the trickier the balance between not enough and too much. Strong is good. Wise you for recognizing this. And no matter how good they are getting at joint replacements, its nice to avoid them if possible.
Yep. When someone who’s never had one speaks to me rather cavalierly about a joint replacement, “Oh, I’ll just get my hips/knees replaced,” I think, “It’s not new Nikes, sweet cheeks.” 🤣
exactly, and if you don’t rehab and preferably also “prehab” you will likely be disappointed with the outcome.
Absolutely. And people who expect their prostheses will be just like their original joint? No. They are great and maybe 50 or 60 years ago I would’ve been in a wheelchair at 55. I’m grateful and careful with these miraculous replacements, but they are NOT the joints I was born with. That said, I love them.
I’m 73; legs and associated joints are good; so far, I’m the proverbial horse. Grateful for it every day.
Definitely something to be grateful for! I’m a little sketchy but I’m grateful to be moving and seeing and feeling.
The sartorius is one of my favorite muscles. A cramp in it makes its function obvious.
I haven’t experienced that so far… I think I’d like to avoid it. I’ve kind of specialized in pain along the IT band. Maybe it’s good to stick with what I know… 🤣
So very true! Our legs are important and the strengthening of those muscles is very important. My mother always had strong leg muscles but when her balance was iffy due to AFib she had to work on her upper body and core. I don’t worry so much for me but Sparky comes from a family with a history of knee, hip and shoulder replacements!
I didn’t know anyone in my family had arthritis until I found a letter to my grandma from the 1920s where one of the people at her church was concerned because arthritis pain kept my grandma home from church. I’m built like her. I have her hair. I guess I got her joints. ❤