Another bittersweet day in 356daysland...
Today was farewell to Danya until February when our paths will cross for a few days during our electives in Vancouver. Instead of a nice dinner or sitting in a cozy coffee shop, Danya suggested we head to the gym together. Little did I know that she had brought her laptop along with her and was about to subject me to Insanity Max Interval Plyo in the big studio room at Goodlife.
So. Hard.
I probably did about half the reps and had to modify several of the moves to suit my ability, both cardio-wise and shoulder-wise.
And it was still SO HARD. I'm tapping away at the computer in a t-shirt absolutely drenched with sweat. If all the workouts are like Max Interval Plyo, I would definitely recommend the Insanity series. It's really nice to be able to do a workout that requires no equipment (unlike P90X, which I also like, but which requires equipment) and still really makes you feel like you've accomplished something by the time you get to the end.
I haven't talked much about what it's like to work out this much with injuries and some post-surgical restrictions. I'm definitely no expert, but I've gleaned some knowledge from my experience and I know injuries are something a lot of people struggle with so I feel like it makes sense to share what I know.
It can be difficult to get back into physical activity after an injury or surgery - your routine has been interrupted and it's hard to motivate yourself to start again, you're often starting from a lower level than you're used to working at, you worry about re-injuring yourself, and things hurt, dammit. Here's some hard-won advice that keeps me working out with a couple of bad shoulders and fairly recently recovered post-surgical shoulder:
1. Stop focussing on what you can't do and start figuring out what you can do.
After my shoulder surgery, I was devastated that I couldn't swim (I started up a year later) or rock climb (I still haven't been able to return to rock climbing). It's easy to understand these restrictions intellectually, but when reality smacks you in the face with them after surgery it's hard to really get your brain wrapped around the idea that things have changed. I felt pretty low knowing that I couldn't do the things I loved, but - when I was allowed to be active again - I worked hard to figure out what I could do. I could run, and so I learned to love running. Over time, I began building up a repertoire of other activities I could enjoy with minimal pain and risk, and that list is always expanding.
2. Modify, modify, modify.
Yeah, maybe you can't do a perfect yogic handstand with your bad shoulder, and maybe you can't squat twice your body weight with your bad knee, but there are almost always slight (and sometimes major) changes you can make to approximate the movements you struggle with or that cause you pain. A physiotherapist, athletic therapist, or coach or expert in your sport is a great resource for ideas that will get you started on making modifications. As you get more comfortable with their suggestions, you can start looking on your own for ways to modify more of your favourite activities and increase your participation. It's so worth it.
3. Don't be afraid to feel something.
You shouldn't feel pain when you're working out, but if you live your life in fear of feeling that twinge that tells you to back off or slow down, you'll never do anything. Be gentle with yourself, but not too gentle.
4. Try not to worry about what other people think.
Sometimes I feel a little self-conscious when I'm in a class and an instructor tells us to raise our arms straight up...and my left arm veers to the side while my shoulder shrugs up against my will. Or when I'm in the pool swimming laps and I jerk my left arm around instead of gracefully rotating my shoulder. But I can't do a whole heck of a lot about it, so I've had to learn to accept it. I've realised that very few people really notice these little quirks, and almost no one points them out. Why should I be self-conscious, anyway? I'm not sitting on the couch - I'm out of the house doing something to achieve and maintain the best health I possibly can, and that's something to be proud - not ashamed - of.
 |
| Uh...I think that says Day 14... |
So. Hard.
 |
| A big space for two girls to fill... |
And it was still SO HARD. I'm tapping away at the computer in a t-shirt absolutely drenched with sweat. If all the workouts are like Max Interval Plyo, I would definitely recommend the Insanity series. It's really nice to be able to do a workout that requires no equipment (unlike P90X, which I also like, but which requires equipment) and still really makes you feel like you've accomplished something by the time you get to the end.
I haven't talked much about what it's like to work out this much with injuries and some post-surgical restrictions. I'm definitely no expert, but I've gleaned some knowledge from my experience and I know injuries are something a lot of people struggle with so I feel like it makes sense to share what I know.
It can be difficult to get back into physical activity after an injury or surgery - your routine has been interrupted and it's hard to motivate yourself to start again, you're often starting from a lower level than you're used to working at, you worry about re-injuring yourself, and things hurt, dammit. Here's some hard-won advice that keeps me working out with a couple of bad shoulders and fairly recently recovered post-surgical shoulder:
 |
| How do you come back from this? |
2. Modify, modify, modify.
Yeah, maybe you can't do a perfect yogic handstand with your bad shoulder, and maybe you can't squat twice your body weight with your bad knee, but there are almost always slight (and sometimes major) changes you can make to approximate the movements you struggle with or that cause you pain. A physiotherapist, athletic therapist, or coach or expert in your sport is a great resource for ideas that will get you started on making modifications. As you get more comfortable with their suggestions, you can start looking on your own for ways to modify more of your favourite activities and increase your participation. It's so worth it.
 |
| I miss this...but there's still a lot I can do. |
You shouldn't feel pain when you're working out, but if you live your life in fear of feeling that twinge that tells you to back off or slow down, you'll never do anything. Be gentle with yourself, but not too gentle.
4. Try not to worry about what other people think.
Sometimes I feel a little self-conscious when I'm in a class and an instructor tells us to raise our arms straight up...and my left arm veers to the side while my shoulder shrugs up against my will. Or when I'm in the pool swimming laps and I jerk my left arm around instead of gracefully rotating my shoulder. But I can't do a whole heck of a lot about it, so I've had to learn to accept it. I've realised that very few people really notice these little quirks, and almost no one points them out. Why should I be self-conscious, anyway? I'm not sitting on the couch - I'm out of the house doing something to achieve and maintain the best health I possibly can, and that's something to be proud - not ashamed - of.
Sometimes you're going to feel pain, and that's going to suck. But - contrary to popular belief - that's not your body telling you to STOP. It's your body telling you to CHANGE what you're doing.
And believe me, it's worth it.
 |
| Bam. Two weeks of sweating complete. And yes, this shirt is from Divisionals in 1999. Am I dating myself? |
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