I went to see my chiropractor. She first sent in the massage person, who did a nice neck and shoulder massage that loosened me up. Then Deborah came on in. It had been five years since I had last seen her! She noticed I had lost weight and thought I looked great. We talked about what I am doing now. And she asked what I wanted to be able to do. I said I wanted to be more flexible, able to do the things I like, like hiking, without hurting myself. She checked my legs - the way I stand, the way they react to resistance at different places. From this she concluded that I need to develop my quads in a more effective way than I have been. She suggested leg presses, direct, straight ones (no angle). ANd orthotics custom-made for me. She gave me the name of a podiatrist who does a terrific job of these. With these I will be more stable and less likely to injure myself.

She also told me she has seen many serious injuries in women over thirty years old from bodypump classes. She thinks the moves are too fast for our muscles, which do not recover at the same rate as the twenty-somethings' muscles. She recommended I stop doing them. How sad!! But hey, this is what I wanted to know.

So now I make an appointment with the podiatrist and another one with someone at the gym to learn the correct form in doing those leg presses.

Deborah straightened some things out in my neck and back because it had been so long, but she did not think I need to come back, except on an as-needed basis.

I have decided not to push today so I won't be doing my regular exercise before the dance class. I'll just call it good.