One reason Jess Sims is such a popular Peloton instructor is that she is such a great motivator. She says things that just resonate. No matter where you are or what you need to hear—she says it. Her reminder that boring is the bridge to better is helping me stick with my physical therapy exercises.
What could be more boring than planks?
Boring Is The Bridge To Better
I’m not gonna lie, I am having to dig deep to keep pushing through my physical therapy exercises. Doing the same exercises for 3 sets of 10 every day is so boring. But, my hamstring does seem to be improving, and that’s what keeps me going. Hey, maybe, boring really is the bridge to better! And that mantra resonates even more with all the bridge exercises I am doing. 🤣
Speaking of which, I went to PT this week fully expecting her to maintain my current exercises, but she threw in some even harder ones. Instead of “simple” hamstring/glute bridges on a fitness ball I now do this torturous sequence:
- bridge up
- hamstring curl with high glute bridge to roll ball in and out
- single leg lifts from ball (R,L)
- bridge down
That’s one rep!
She also added sliding bridges on the floor: I bridge up, slide my legs straight out and pull them back in, trying to keep my glutes elevated the whole time. I have horrible form for this one, but maybe it will get better.
At least she is letting me run a few miles at a time!
Weekly Run Down
My PT exercises have taken over my strength routine, but I managed to squeeze in a few upper body classes this week and rolled through Peloton strength (2250) and stretch (600) class milestones.
Sunday: Core + PT exercises + 3.25 Tread miles
I’m still taking AFO classes and Hannah’s Chaka Khan class was a fun one!
Monday: Core + PT exercises + 3.25 Tread miles
Unlike most AFO classes, Marcel’s playlist featured a variety of musicians rather than focusing on one.
Tuesday: CorePower yoga
My one day off from PT exercises!
Wednesday: Core + Upper Body Strength + 20 min Peloton Ride
I had a PT appointment at 8:30, so I skipped doing PT exercises on my own and took my 2250th strength class—a 20 minute upper body class with Logan.
Thursday: Core + PT exercises + 3.25 Tread miles + 10 min UB Strength
My first day doing those harder PT exercises at home. 😝
Friday: Core +PT exercises + 20 min Peloton ride + 10 min ALW
My last AFO class of the week. Christine played a great mix of songs and kept the coaching to a minimum so you could really get lost in the music.
Saturday: 5 min Core + PT exercises + 3.25 Tread Miles
Woke up to heavy rains from tropical storm Ophelia, and really wanted to stay in bed! Instead, I took Scooby out just long enough to pee, did my workout, and then took him for a longer walk when it was just raining instead of pouring. He actually doesn’t mind the rain and loves his post-rainy walk rub downs. 🤷♀️
Waiting for a break in the rain ….
A huge thank you to Deborah and Kim for hosting the Weekly Run Down link up.
Do you have a mantra that gets you through a tough strength workout?
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I often hear inspiring tidbits from Pelo instructors but then I promptly forget them. Your physio exercises sound tough! Glad they are helping so much. It’ll be worth it.
Me too, but this one I wrote down — It hit so close to home!
ugh, I missed the post where you shared that you were having hammie issues! That’s an injury Dustin has dealt with a lot. Stick with those exercises, as boring as they are!! 🙂
It’s been nagging since April, and I finally got into PT in September. (It took me a while to decide I needed to get it checked out, and then a while to get through to the ortho to get an appt).
Yes, I’m pretty sure there’s nothing more boring than PT exercises. No wonder people don’t want to do them. But being able to run again pain-free is great motivation! Your exercises do sound really hard- but your hamstrings should be bullet-proof after this.
Poor Scooby, waiting so patiently for the rain to stop! What a good dog.
Glad your PT exercises are helping. I definitely find lots of motivation from the Peloton instructors often when I least expect it.
It really is a bummer how boring PT work is (at least the at-home ones)! It was almost a year ago I started my 8-month PT journey. I really liked the gal I worked with; she was great about educating me on the purpose of the exercises and what each specifically did.
I like my PT too — I’m just struggling with my motivation to do my homework.
It IS really hard to get those PT exercises done, but you want to run, right? Nuff said.
Bandit does not like the rain and although he’s good about it, he doesn’t like being wiped off, either! None of my dogs would ever walk in the rain. But he has a doggy door to the backyard. Of course he tends to hold it til I’m available so I can give him a treat for being a good boy.
Hurray for being able to run a little!
Scooby will walk and walk in the rain!
Nice work, Coco. And you know the PT is paying off! I totally agree that Jess Sims is a great motivator. I love listening to her during classes – she always seems to find the right words (not true with every instructor ;)).
Thanks! I do hope it’s paying off.
I can’t do my PT exercises at home. Not sure why, but I have no problem doing them at the gym. It’s how I rehabbed that shoulder. I just feel more motivated in that atmosphere.
That’s interesting. I prefer to do mine in my basement “gym” vs. my office gym because I have the right equipment at home.
What a great quote! I’ll have to remember that one.
I’m sure there’s an enormous market potential for someone who invents a way to make PT exercises interesting! They are the most boring thing on earth!
Hah! Well, if someone figures it out, I’ll help them patent it. 😉
Oh, I like the sound of that bridge/hamstring curl sequence. Sounds tough, but effective! “Boring is the bridge to better,” what a great quote!
Awww, poor Scooby looks so sad staring out at the rain.
I didn’t even hear about Ophelia! I’m glad you are all well and safe.
Great workouts this week. Those bridges sound HORRIBLE, but great.
Ooof! Yep, I do know some of those PT exercises! Those sliders, ugh. I would rather do 100 crunches than 10 bridges. But yep, I’m doing single leg bridges in my routine! My exercises are around 20 mins, so I have been watching TV shows on my DVR and it fills the time perfectly. Also, I start my watch so I get a strength workout on Garmin, which makes me feel productive. My workout is in an app called MedBridge Go. I like having an app to follow along with, just to keep me motivated. It’s really tough to be motivated – so kudos to you and keep it up!!