A mechanical heartbeat in the snowy forest

PetiteSheWolf PetiteSheWolf Logging since September 2022
Yesterday Thursday did my daily habit and meditation.

This morning Atlas challenge D19, and for flexibility,
[WORKOUT]healthy-gut[/WORKOUT]
(Instead of staying in cat, then in cow, I alternate cat and cow 1 minute ; personal adapation). I like the folds and twists, and still very gentlle on the knee (which behaves like a good boy).

I am calling on our yogini and exercise-experienced people - paging not randomly @Laura Rainbow Dragon , @Damer and @neilarey , and of course anyone who wanna participate- what are good poses similar to Atlas that can work together balance, knee stability and all these muscles around ? I find that lots of yoga balance asanas work on balance, sure, but not necessarily specifically / strongly the knee strengthening and stabilizing part, so wondering.

349 consecutive days of exercise (D330 on 02/03).
 
All of the standing balances do work knee strengthening and stability to some extent, although, as you have observed, the strength challenge is not always as great as it is in a lunge. Anytime we're standing upright with our centre of mass balanced above a straight leg (e.g.: Tree) our stacked bones are doing a lot of the work of holding us in that position. (You're not perfectly balanced on your bones. So your knee and the muscles surrounding it are still doing some work to hold you there. But it is a lot less work than is required for the bent leg poses like lunges.)

For poses that target balance and knee strength/stability optimally, I would suggest Crescent Lunge and its variations (see the top of that page for some options), as well as all of the warriors and their variations. Yes, in Warrior III, a flexible yogi will be balanced on a straight leg. But because the rest of your body is horizontal your leg is now supporting quite a long lever, as opposed to having all your weight directly on top of/close to on top of the supporting leg. This significantly increases the stability challenge of the pose. Also: you can do warrior III with a bent knee if you want to. Ditto for Half Moon (Float your moon to increase the balance challenge. See also the variations at the top of that page.) and Dancer.

Some other good options:

Chair (Traditionally done with legs pressed together. But if you specifically want to work on knee stability, try it with a bit of space between your legs.)
Chair can also be done on the toes to increase the balance challenge.
Twisted Chair (Same deal as Chair re: knees together or apart.) Can also be done with Extended Arms and with Bound Arms.
To work the core and shoulders more, Twisted Chair can also be done with the arms free.
Eagle (Don't fight for the foot hook if doing so stresses your knee. It is fine to do the pose with just the thighs crossed.)
Eagle Crunches (Challenge your stability more by flowing between upright Eagle and bowed Eagle.)
Balancing Standing Splits (Similar to Warrior III, but less work for the upper body and more work for the lifted leg. The upside down head posture also significantly increases the balance challenge for most people.)

What are your contraindications for your knee?
 
Thanks a lot @Laura Rainbow Dragon too! Variations on Chair and Eagle sound great! Balancing standing split, uh ... nope. Not enough balance, LOL.
I have no "specific" contraindications, when I have done physiotherapy I had different exercises including wall squats. However I can /tell/ that deep squats like goddess / garland pose can hurt very fast, and for pigeon, I have to lift up my right buttock with a brick if I don't want pain in the right knee after ; some of the backwards-bending postures like camel (camel, for my own memory) too. But variations on chair and eagle are gonna be good ones to come back too. Plus the workouts our @Damer indicated.

Friday, Saturday did meditation and daily habit.

Saturday and today did Atla challenge D20 and D21, and downdog yoga restorative practices.

I will post later my punches and elbow strikes for the DARK CAKE ;)

351 consecutive days of exercise (D330 on 02/03).
 
So, yesterday Sunday did the walking, meditation and daily habit.
Also 200 punches and 200 elbow punches for the battleground, but posted them a bit late...

My knee started again hurting Saturday and yesterday, "thanks" to the subway's stairs. Grumble. I am giving myself a second calm week, but if my knee still protests after next Saturday as soon as I take stairs, I should not wait longer to see again the sport doc. Gah, I did not need that right now... But we'll deal with it like a big, mature, serene Wolf who can take a step back and see what counts truly and take the rest in stride!

V is doing slightly better - one of her sis visited her this WE , hopefully this week I may see her. I will keep you updated, you sweet folks.

So, today continuing Atlas D22, and
[WORKOUT]better-balance[/WORKOUT]
(lookie, yoginis, the second one can be easily changed into Eagle ; and the last one is warrior III ;) )

and for upper body
[CHALLENGE]better-arms[/CHALLENGE]
D1.

This week's goal will be Atlas, Better Arms, and a balance exercise to still get moving. But no step counting, again, to try give that knee a chance to get better.

352 consecutive days of exercise (D330 on 02/03).
 
So, Monday and Yesterday tuesday had my daily habit + meditation.

Yesterday morning Atlas D23, better arms D2, and
[WORKOUT]destress-yoga-fix[/WORKOUT]

This morning Atlas D24, Better arms D3 and
[WORKOUT]origami[/WORKOUT]

I had a fair deal of walking + subway stairs (office day, and then ophtalomologist appointment), and ouch, yesterday evening...
However, this morning I had at the kinesitherapist to do bridges, "walking bridges" (bridge position, advance one foot then the other, bin position, and rest down) and planks, and it seems to have helped.
I just can't understand that dratted knee. Grrrr.
And for the record, kinesitherapy aien't for my knee this time (and that's also why I am loath to go to the sport doc, because I cannot see myself with two kinesitherapy appointments / week!).

354 consecutive days of exercise (D330 on 02/03).
 
Thank you @colin , @Mamatigerj , @Fremen and @Maegaranthelas - writing it here helps me both vent, and try afterwards to keep realistic with goals and deadlines, your encouragements mean a lot.

So, yesterday did meditation, daily habit.

This morning did Atlas D25, better arms D4, and the well-named
[WORKOUT]stability[/WORKOUT]
did also my kinesitherapy exercises, including bridge and walking bridge.

355 consecutive days of exercise (D330 on 02/03). A full year of exercise is coming quite close, no way I let my knee prevent that, LOL!
 
Thank you @graoumia .
Yesterday did meditation and daily habit.

This morning did Atlas D26, better arms D5, my kinesitherapy exercises (goal is 4 times between appointments), and for balance
[WORKOUT]soulbound[/WORKOUT]
going not too deep in pose 6 to avoid garland/goddess (basically as pictured, tighs and shins at right angle, not less).

356 consecutive days of exercise (D330 on 02/03).
 
So... Saturday was indeed 364 days, one year, so thank you @CODawn and @Haleth :revolving: yay for exercise!

Friday and Saturday meditation, daily habit, so good week.
Sunday meditation and daily habit.
Spending time with my parents as they are starying a little bit in Paris. Mom has had a really good feel for an appartment 5 mins from me, so that's good ; and this morning we visit one in my own building. We'll see how it all turns out, but it is helping mom.

Saturday, Sunday and this morning Better arms D13 - 14 - 15, kine exercises including bridges Sunday and this morning,
Saturday restorative yoga with downdog
Sunday
[WORKOUT]inner-peace[/WORKOUT]

And this morning
[WORKOUT]knee-saver[/WORKOUT]

1 year and 2 consecutive days of exercise (one year on 06/04).
 
Thank you @Maegaranthelas , @Fremen , @Calico , @TopNotch , @graoumia , @Anek !
Cats Happy Cat GIF
 
Tuesday and Wednesday meditation and daily habit

Yesterday and today Better Arms challenge D17 and 18, kine exercises, and for workouts
[WORKOUT]equilibrium[/WORKOUT]

and
[WORKOUT]inner-goddess[/WORKOUT]

1 year and 5 consecutive days of exercuse (one year zero days on 05/04)

Well, afraid I am gonna ask for some more prayers and thoughts.
Short version I had a mammography on Tuesday, and they saw a mass + 2 lymph nodes bigger than they should be. Initially I was supposed to get a biopsy today, but since this wolf is on anticoagulants, it was way too early, so I need to switch to heparin injections and will have the biopsy Tuesday. Then a week to wait for results, and that following Tuesday also the lymph nodes biopsies.
It may very well be a silly scare, and treatments today have progressed a lot, so I WON'T worry until full results. But still, annoyed, and really worried about how to approach it with my parents if it turns out cancerous. They must both focus on dad, but I also know we try to have very honest relationships...
Oh well. Good thing there is prayer! And thank you all for making this space a safe space for expression. Hugs to all.
 
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