Challenge #9- Grab your Yoga Mat

Yoga has been practiced for more than 5,000 years. Not only is yoga considered therapeutic by connecting the mind, body and spirit, but there are also several benefits to practicing yoga including enabling you to develop your flexibility, strength, and balance while feeling more fit and energetic. See a comprehensive list here of all the benefits.

This week’s challenge is find a yoga studio and participate in a class. Choose any type of yoga class you would like; challenge yourself to take a different type of class if you frequently do yoga in your normal fitness routine. A point will be awarded for challengers who complete the class and post a picture on the OFAC Facebook page.

Great news for Columbus Challengers! We are lucky to be working closely with a great studio in Westerville, The Yoga Factory and Fitness Studio. They are giving us a special deal that will be available through April 1 for all OFAC Health & Fitness Challengers. You can drop in for any yoga class, mention you are with the OFAC Health & Fitness Challenge, and we will be charged a discounted class fee of $10 (usually $15 for drop in class). Thank you Jud from the Yoga Factory. See their weekly class schedule here.

Namaste

Challenge #8- The Squat

Thanks Team “Ripped-Eh” for the fun challenge. Complete 25 squats in a row twice a day for the entire week. Squats are a great functional exercise to increase leg strength and fire our big muscles to help to ramp up our metabolism.

One point will be given to each participant for fully executing the challenge 5 of 7 days and posting a great “squat photo” on Facebook at the end of the week. A bonus point will be awarded to challengers who complete 50 squats twice a day for the entire week (7 out of 7 days).

Points to remember about the perfect squat:  Feet shoulder width apart, weight on your heels through the motion, back straight & chest up through the movement.

I often say that my hard work as a surgeon is actually the easy part of the whole equation. I get to go home on my own two feet (usually), exercise, and participate in family life and work – all the regular things that define quality of life for me. For the surgical patient, in this case me, all these normal activities are in suspended animation until the body heals.

The recovery process for my surgery (peroneal repair + brostrom) can be broken down into separate distinct stages each important but different.

First, safe execution of surgery, anesthesia and pain control.

As the patient surgery is the one you have the least control of. My advice is to pick a surgeon that you can trust and trust that they will take care of you. I trust all of my partners and any one of them would have done a great job. For this surgery I put my fate in Dr. Hyers’ hands.

Anesthesia is best in the calm, relaxed and trusting patient. I chose to have a regional block at the level of the knee, the same as I recommend to my patients. Although somewhat scary to thi

nk of someone giving me needles at the knee the experience was very good. Dr. Donovan sedated me (ok I fell asleep like a baby with a small dose) and when I was aware again my foot was numb.

The idea behind numbing before surgery is the concept of pre-emptive analgesia. My brain was not to feel any pain stimulus at the time of surgery and for quite awhile after. I used to say to expect 12 hours of numbness but for me the block lasted 36 hours – and I loved it! I was still sedated for the surgery and the first 12 hours or so are somewhat a blurred recollection even though in the recovery room I felt wide awake and alert.

Secondly, my recovery at home.

I went home the afternoon after my surgery and the first 36 hours were spent in a quiet state with my foot elevated. I watched TV, read a book and wrote some emails (not sure the intellectual content was real high on these in hind site). Everything I did, I did with my foot elevated.

The tricks of the trade that helped me:

I used the cold therapy frequently and my family was kind enough to keep the cooler water cold. We used frozen water bottles instead of ice cubes that turned out to be a great trick and avoided running to the store for ice.

I used an anti-inflammatory to keep the inflammation down. Pain and inflammation are directly linked and although you need some inflammation to heal (normal healing pathway for your body) my goal was to prevent excessive inflammation.

I had pain medications available if I needed them. Narcotic pain medications are a double edge sword and my bias was to minimize their use. They do not help you heal but rather help you deal. Pain medications come with side effects like constipation and drowsiness. For me I was able to avoid them by using all the other strategies.

Electrical stimulation was my last trick. Electrical current, via leads attached to the skin, can deliver a low level electrical current (tens unit) as an effective strategy that has been used for years as part of chronic pain management and physical therapy. These same leads can deliver a higher current to keep a small contraction in my calf muscles so as to avoid some of the atrophy inherent in surgery. The low level

contractions can also enhance healing by decreasing swelling (muscle contraction helps pump blood).

For the first 7-10 days after surgery go SLOW. Control the swelling and pain and it will pay dividends for your entire recovery – it did for me.

And…. be nice to your family – you are their hostage!

Next topic: Using crutches and the scooter safely.

Challenge #7- Army Physical Fitness Test

Thank you Kevin Runyon and the  684^th ASMC Team for your great challenge idea. Complete the Army Physical Fitness Test. Count how many push-ups you can do in 2 minutes (ladies, real push-ups, not on your knees). Count how many sit-ups you can complete in 2 minutes (see picture below for form), and complete a two-mile run. Perform each exercise with a 10-minute rest period between each activity.   The test must be completed in that order.

The Pushup event measures endurance of the chest, shoulder and triceps. When conducting a pushup your body should form a straight line from shoulders to ankles.  A correct pushup is conducted by lowering your entire body, as a single unit, until your upper arms are at least parallel to the ground. Then, return to the starting position by raising your entire body until your arms are fully extended. Resting on the ground, removing hands or feet from the ground, or excessive bending are not allowed.

The situp measures strength of abdominal muscles. Lower your body until the bottom of your shoulder blades touch the ground.  Soldiers must not bounce off the ground, allow his or her feet to break contact with the ground, or remove hands from the back of his or her head.

The two-mile run is used to assess aerobic fitness and leg muscle endurance.  While it is permitted to pace a soldier during the run, physical contact (pushing or pulling) is not allowed. After the run soldiers to leave the finishing area and proceed to the designated cool-down area.

Calculate your total score using the calculator here- enter your counts and time for each exercise along with your age. Points are awarded for each exercise category according to your age. Report your total score along with your picture completing the challenge.  You will receive a point for completing the challenge and posting your picture on Facebook. In addition, the top 3 scores among females and males will receive a bonus point.

Good luck!

Challenge #6- Hit the Metro Parks

We have been very lucky this winter in Ohio and have been enjoying very mild weather; so its time to hit the Metro Parks for a walk or run.

The challenge for this week is grab a friend and take a walk or go for a run in one of your favorite parks. Receive a point for completing the challenge. There are many benefits of exercising outside in the winter. Read more here.

For Columbus Challengers, here is some information about the Winter Hike Series at our Metro Parks.

Don’t forget to take your picture completing the challenge and post on the OFAC Facebook page.

Have fun and enjoy the sunshine this week!