Monday 9 April 2012

If I exercise, will my insides fall out?

It's been nearly 4 months since I had my gastrectomy, 9 months since I had my baby, and a year since I've done any exercise.  Before the surgery and the baby I'd like to think I did  a lot of exercise.
Which included playing basketball and netball every week, karate (I have a black  belt in Kyokushin)  running and going to the gym.

I have been dying to play basketball since I had my insides chopped up, and since my stomach muscles have finally stopped hurting/burning/itching I decided it was time to get back on the court. I have to admit that the prospect of doing any form of physical activity was terrifying.


Here is why - 
1. Up until a few weeks ago, every time I sneezed or coughed it felt like my insides were tearing apart.
2. My stomach muscles have really only just stopped hurting (around my incision)
3. Running across the road makes me out of breath.
4. Stretching my arms up in the air pulls on my scar and makes it uncomfortable.
5. What If someone whacks me in the stomach and my scar opens up and my insides fall out?
6. I am incredibly unfit.

All of the above reasons aside I decided to harden up and just go play a game, what's the worst that can happen? Turns out, I had absolutely nothing to worry about, well apart from the fact that I played terribly and probably only sunk one basket, my insides didn't fall out, my scar didn't open up and I didn't have any pain at all. My only real problem was that I was unfit.

So since I successfully managed to play one game of basketball I thought maybe I'll do something a little more extreme.

I got invited to the media launch of the new SKINS compression clothing range. For the launch we all had to don a pair of Skins and struggle through a circuit by a former trainer for the special forces. The circuit involved me using my abdominal muscles a lot. 3 different kinds of sit ups, press ups, medicine ball throws, rope climbs, lots of sprint work and a bunch of other things. It was the first time I had engaged my abs since my surgery and while they felt a bit weak, much to my surprise I was still able to do all of the exercises.
Silver Ferns Kayla Cullen and Maria Tutaia were there showing us how it's done. They are so tall in real life.  As Kayla put it 'We look like Shaq and Yao Ming" Kayla decided she wanted to be Ming because Shaq can't shoot (good choice)

Now, I guess this means I have absolutely no excuse to not exercise.
The only thing I fore see as a possible problem is the effect exercise may have on my appetite and my weight. Fingers crossed that exercising won't make me lose anymore weight!
My sister already thinks I look too thin.

I'll keep you posted on how that goes.

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