One of the reasons I’ve been feeling so much stronger is that my physical therapist has put me onto a workout on what I call a jiggle machine, it’s actual name is the Galileo Vibration Plate; I workout on the Sport model. When I was first reading all the hype about it, I was pretty skeptical, but intrigued. The technology was apparently developed by the Soviet space program in an effort to combat the muscle atrophy and subsequent osteoporosis that cosmonauts are susceptible to when spending time in a weightless environment. It helps build bone density, increase muscle strength, and even reduces blood pressure and combats back pain. My therapist wanted me on it primarily for the increase in bone density and core strength.

The first day I used it, under the watchful eye of my physio, I thought it was really pretty fun, and not a particularly difficult workout; though she only ran me through one set of reps. It’s basically a platform that shakes the crap out of you while you try to do things like squats, lunges, and standing on one foot…  My second workout, I really kept myself focused and concentrated on my form while being jiggled relentlessly; I also performed three reps of each exercise with walking and stretch breaks between each set. That workout was a lot harder, and left me sweaty and a bit breathing challenged.

The next morning I was sore all through my lower body, but I really felt stronger. My third workout and I was hooked. The residual pain I’d been feeling in my bottom and through the front of my pelvis had disappeared and was replaced by a feeling of finally being solid and strong again through my mid-section.  Now when I come to a bit of terrain that slopes downward I just take it on; it no longer gives me that panicky sick feeling that I might fall. (Downhill is really difficult when you’re weak through the front of your hips as it takes a lot of muscle control through that area to walk downhill). Now I regularly challenge myself with hills in my workout routine (uphill for cardio, downhill for strength).

I’m now a full month into thrice weekly workouts on the Galileo and I think my fitness is improving by leaps and bounds. I’m still no where near where I want to be, but I can at least see myself on the road, and I’m really looking forward to getting there.

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