At age 40, I began a new hobby. A buddy suggested triathlons and even with no swimming experience, no bike and having never run more than a mile at one time; it seemed like a good idea.
There are different types of triathlons; everything from long distance endurance races called Ironman Triathlons down to much shorter events called Sprints. My triathlon of choice is called an “Olympic” triathlon, which like the name implies, is used in the Olympic Games. This consists of swimming .93 miles, biking 25 miles and then running 6 miles – all without stopping.
For several years triathlons became somewhat of an obsession. Here in Tennessee, triathlon season runs from May through September, so one time I flew to Brazil to participate in a race in February! My weekly training regiment was to swim 10 miles each week, bike 100 miles and run 40 miles. Needless to say, this was a bit excessive compared to normal people; however triathletes are a tough bunch.
After several years of these intense triathlon workouts, my left knee started hurting. A doctor said to cut back on running from ten miles per run to only three to four miles. Since you must run six miles in a triathlon, this put an end to my triathlon career.
I cut back on the running and ramped up the swimming and bike portion. This seemed to work well until an accident destroyed my ear drum. A very expensive surgery to attempt to rebuild the inner workings of my ear left me with a perforated eardrum. Water would get into my ear canal and caused a bad case of swimmer’s ear anytime I swam. That put an end to swimming.
Bike riding and short runs seemed to be the only option left. However after a few years of this, my knee started hurting again mainly when bike riding. I dropped the bike portion and settled into short, but frequent runs around the neighborhood.
Then just about a year ago, my knees started hurting again. It seemed that at age 58 my body was slowly falling apart. I tried going to the gym and using elliptical trainers, treadmills, weights, aerobic classes, pilates, yoga – pretty much anything to get my heart rate up and produce a sweat. But nothing stuck.
Even a short run around the block produced intense knee pain for a couple of days. It was really the pits, and it seemed like I was doomed to a life of walking around the block like a senior citizen. Perhaps walking the malls and just accepting the pain in my legs and back. Glucosamine and chondroitin supplements didn’t help nor did drinking boiled chicken bones.
Around the time my knee started hurting, a friend began talking about an exercise machine that really gave her a good workout. Not being a triathlete what could she possibly know about real sweat and exercise? This sounded like a bunch of hooey and I wanted nothing to do with this crazy exercise machine.
However, my friend wouldn’t stop talking about the Rikian Exerciser. Eventually she won out and introduced me to Ian Reinbott and his Rikian Exerciser. The skeptic in me said not to tell him about my knee pain or other issues as he might try to “fix” me.
After the first ten minute session on the Rikian Exerciser the pains in my knee and lower back subsided. But of course, in my stubborn mind, the Rikian had nothing to do with it. To say I was skeptical would be an understatement.
For the next few months, I refused to go back to the Life-Wave Living Center not wanting to face Ian Reinbott again. However, my friend told me that Ian needed some help selling and marketing the Rikian Exercisers and asked if I could give Ian some assistance. This was right up my alley and before I knew it I was back at the Life-Wave Living Center.
Ian wouldn’t listen to a word until I had been balanced out by the Rikian Exerciser. Before long I was getting on the Rikian Exerciser almost every day. Typically, my back is really stiff in the morning; this pain went away. My knee pain went away. I started standing straight again.
For the past few years I would go to the gym in the winter months and run outside in the summer. Typically, during the winter my weight would increase from 162 to about 168. Then in the summer I’d work real hard to get it back down, only for this cycle to repeat again the next winter.
Starting around October of last year I was getting on the Rikian Exerciser about three to four times per week. My typical routine is ten minutes on my back, ten minutes on my legs and then five minutes to balance my back out. This twenty five minute routine was nothing like a traditional 45 minute run on a treadmill only to awake the next day with stiff joints, sore knees and lower back pain. After a workout on the Rikian Exerciser, the next day my back felt great and my legs were loose and flexible.
This year my winter weight has remained at 162, the muscles in my stomach have tightened up, that flab of skin that started hanging down under my chin has gone away, my chest and biceps are more toned, my back doesn’t hurt, and I can put my nose to my knee – something I haven’t done for over 30 years! It is incredible to comprehend – almost unbelievable.
I feel a little guilty about not subjecting my body to intense sweating and hard work. It just doesn’t feel right to be in better shape with so very little effort. However, if that is the burden I must bear, so be it. A twenty-five minute work out on the Rikian Exerciser keeps me in better shape than 90 minutes of sweating at the gym!
If your exercise program leaves you sore and stiff, then give the Rikian Exerciser a try. You won’t regret it, come to the Life-Wave Living Center and see for yourself