Rehab Secret

Mom2izzy · May 19, 2012

I learned something new in rehab...thought I'd share. I was befuddled because I can pedal the elliptical for 30 minutes fairly easily, but I'm still getting short of breath on stairs. I've had a few people tell me, "I have that problem, and I didn't have heart surgery." But finally one of the rehab nurses told me people have a natural tendency to take a deep breath at the bottom of the stairs and hold it until the top. I never realized I was doing this, but I'm thinking I must have been...because now, if I pay attention to my breathing on the way up the stairs, I'm not so out of breath at the top.

Just another example of something I though was heart or surgery related but wasn't...

Lily · May 19, 2012

Interesting; thanks!

TheGymGuy · May 19, 2012

Great advice. Taking deep breaths will pretty much take you through any physical activity without much trouble, just ask runners

Still, this was a great puzzle. I, too, would have been surprised if I was getting fine through bicycling for 30+ minutes, but had issues with stairs.

Bina · May 19, 2012

After my surgery I had a cleaning lady to help out at home and I remember her saying that to carry the heavy vacuum up my 15 stairs
she would have to remember to exhale and not hold her breath. It's a good tip to remember for all of us.

matbunch · May 19, 2012

HA! I am not fit by any means....but when I was a stay at home mom and in my 20's, I joined a gym and exercised 3 times a week or more. I loved the treadmill, bike and cardio/weight circuit....but HATED the elliptical. It was my arch enemy!!! No matter how fit I got....I couldn't do any more than 5 minutes on that thing! Maybe that was the mystery! I wonder how I would do today....I couldn't even get 22 little chairs on a stage for my kindergarten graduation this week. UGGH....40 is hitting me hard!

Greg a · May 19, 2012

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh that was a secret

[video=youtube;pj-MSH_supc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pj-MSH_supc[/video]

bocco · May 21, 2012

I learned this from a dancer years ago. I was talking about getting out of breath in a Karate class. She told told me I was holding my breath while trying to remember the moves I was learning. She was right.