I Came, I Stretched, I Conquered

All About That Stretch

As I’ve been mentioning, my weekly activity level has seen a rather dramatic increase of late. Despite missed walks due to rain (until we figure out how we’d managed to avoid getting drenched in the past, anything over a drizzle is going to have to keep us inside), my body is letting me know I’m not likely to pull one over on it. A Saturday morning spent dumping, cleaning, and refilling all the sandboxes, and vacuuming the cat room, plus 2, longer-than-usual dance nights are taking its toll, albeit temporarily.

By the end of dance night #2, my left knee was catching, and refusing to take weight. Fortunately, some stretching and icing when I got home set it to rights in short order. Good thing, since the next two weeks are 3 night dance weekends, and the one after that is the 4 day cruise. In the meantime, I’ve stepped up my stretching, and will continue adding more to it to support the increased activity.

Granted, I don’t dance all the line dances, either because I dislike some, or don’t know them, but both venues I visited this week had long walks to the restroom, meaning added steps to accommodate my hamster bladder. The second one also had a steep set of stairs which added to the fun for my knees. But Sunday saw me either sitting on a low stool, and getting back up from it, or standing on a concrete floor for 3 hours at the animal rescue with no noticeable discomfort.

Using This Body for All it’s Worth

This much-abused body will somewhat willingly accommodate an increase in activity, but it requires both care and stretching in return. I’ve given up stomping and jumping completely, preferring to gently tap my foot when those movements are required of a dance. I apply Arnica cream liberally to knees, IT band, and hips. But most of all, I stretch often; when I get up in the morning, in between dances when I feel myself stiffening up, and at random times throughout the day. I see a lot more of those random times in my immediate future.

Ice packs and my massage gun are becoming my best friends, and nothing beats a good neck stretch which can be performed almost anywhere. It’s a small price to pay for being able to continue to share the dance floor with the 20- and 30-year-olds. I may move more slowly, and take smaller steps, but the only dances I have to avoid are those with a lot of twisting or stomping. If those movements can be modified, I’m still good to go.

Sometimes, I’ll watch the younger crowd doing those movements I must now avoid, and wonder, when I was that age, if someone had warned me about cranky joints, would I have listened. In all honesty, I know the answer, which is why I don’t waste my breath trying to warn anyone. They’ll do what I did; play as hard as they can until their bodies start to complain, then continue to play hard until the noises their bodies make can no longer be ignored.

Tools of the Trade

At that point, they’ll discover ice, massage guns, and Arnica cream, and keep on going, perhaps a little more gently…and perhaps not. Somewhere along the way, they might endure knee or hip surgery, or have injections of some kind to reduce the inflammation, fluid accumulation, or tears, but they’ll be back on the dance floor as soon as physically possible. A huge part of the time frame for healing will depend on their dedication to physical therapy, and their personal threshold for pain.

As mine is rather high, it meant I was back on the dance floor 6 days after knee surgery, and 2 weeks after a hysterectomy. I may have been taking it easier, and choosing my dances with more care, but sitting on the sidelines, or staying home were not options for me, nor will they be for the younger generation with whom I now share the dance floor. I’d be willing to bet most of them are far more knowledgeable when it comes to things like Yoga stretches than I was at their age, and as such, are better prepared to avoid, or manage injuries. It’s definitely a case of “if I knew then what I know now”!

As time goes on, and I continue to avoid the intense pain of herniated discs, daily stretches are worth the time and effort expended. When another part of my body is giving me trouble, I have stretches I add to help them stay healthy and avoid anything more serious than temporary pain from overwork.

Using What I’ve Learned

Though I still haven’t added back the ballet classes I have cued up with Broche Ballet, I do utilize the plies, releves, and foot stretches; sometimes when I’m sitting, and others from a standing position. It may only mean doing a grande plie to put the cats’ food dishes down, but who said stretching had to always be a structured thing? Any opportunity to loosen up the joints is time well spent.

Thankfully, I’m in good company with people who want to keep moving for as long, and as well as they can. Though they may mention a particular part that’s being cranky, they don’t let it slow them down, and know what they need to do if something is hanging up. Like my locking knee the other night, often, an ice pack and some elevation will solve the problem, with additional stretching added in to help keep those issues at bay for awhile longer.

As avid dancers (or any kind of regular activity), hurting at times goes with the territory. All of us, at some point, have moved wrong and twisted something, or overdone it and fatigued muscles. I’m not alone in having danced entire weekends with kinesio tape on an ankle or knee. When the alternative is to sit a session out, there’s really no other viable option. My own experience with taped knees goes back to my 20’s!

I have every intention of walking, dancing, and otherwise moving this body of mine for as long as I can get it to cooperate. If it means regular stretching, ice packs, and kinesio tape, I consider it all worth it!

Grateful for all the Movement

My gratitudes today are:

1. I’m grateful for a body which continues to bounce back, no matter how much I abuse it, as long as I also give it the care it needs.
2. I’m grateful for an increase in regular activity. Not only is it good for my physical health, but for my mental health as well.
3. I’m grateful for the new group of people with whom I’ve been expanding my horizons. Overall, they’re a terrific influence on me.
4. I’m grateful for being a walking billboard for “70 is the new 50”.
5. I’m grateful for all the lessons I’ve learned about stretching, and overcoming body aches and pains. Slowing down, much less stopping is not on my menu!

About the Author

Sheri Conaway is a Holistic Ghostwriter, and an advocate for cats and mental health. Sheri believes in the Laws of Attraction, but only if you are a participant rather than just an observer. Her mission is to Make Vulnerable Beautiful. In her spare time, she’s also an accountant with extensive experience in Government Contracting.