Pain doesn’t always mean gain

Many people believe the saying “No pain, no gain.” Honestly there is a fine line for this, one that many, myself included, cross thinking it is the best thing for us.

Waking up the morning after an intense workout slightly sore is actually a good thing. It means that you worked your muscles to the point where they are going to rebuild stronger. But waking up the next morning unable to move is where true injury occurs.

Now I’m not a doctor, but I have had my fair share of injuries over the years. From broken and dislocated bones to torn every soft tissue known to man, I’m pretty sure my medical file has its own personal warehouse. The idea of pushing through pain is one many misconstrued in which medical treatment is actually delayed.

Some signs you should stop what you are doing right away are as follows:

1)      Loud pop or snapping sound

2)      Instant discoloration

3)      If there is obvious dislocation of the bones

4)      Swelling

5)      Inability to move the limb normally

6)      Bleeding

While these are just the main see with your eye, hear with your ears kind of things to look for they are not always signs of something serious. Believe it or not there are serious injuries that occur every day with little or no visible signs of injury. This means that people continue to work on these injuries making them worse.

Alright you’re probably wondering what are you getting at Melissa? Well here’s an example, I had a knee injury that I never knew about, one that could have healed on its own if I had taken the time to rest. While no one is exactly sure when the original injury occurred, it has been theorized that it occurred during my riding accident.

I spent two more years after that injury running, swimming and biking all of which just caused the injury to continue tearing over and over again. It got to the point where I could no longer walk. I was on crutches and just the thought of moving my knee brought me to tears (actually the memory of that pain still does). It was cringe worthy for anyone who heard the sound my knee made. I wound up needing surgery and six months of physical therapy, just to learn my knee will never be the same again.

What the doctors have said was if I had known of this injury in the beginning I would never have reached that point where I needed surgery because I could have let it heal and grow back on its own.

There’s just one example of my many injuries. So how could I have known I was injured? Besides a constant ache in my knee I never really knew. This is where listening to your body is the best advocate to stop something serious. I could and should have listened to that ache instead of ignoring it. It was my first and only sign of something seriously going wrong.

Instead I pushed through it, thought nothing of it and moved on to the next workout. If I had listened to the pain I would have stopped and gotten it checked out before it meant a run to the O.R. But not all silent injuries are serious either; it could just be a strain that needs rest. Either way if the pain persists please see a doctor and get checked out.

A good indicator on whether to know if you need to schedule an appointment with a doctor is if the pain or soreness persists after 72hrs of rest and R.I.C.E. (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation). If you are still having pain and difficulty moving it is best to see a doctor to rule out any form of injury.

Taking the lead, a moment of success

I am so proud of my mom. I have to gush about her right now. She has watched me on my journey for the last few years and always tried to lose herself with no luck, giving up when there was no sign of hope.
 
After many conversations of why she doesn't like working out or going alone she has devised a plan which I hope she is happy I will divulge to my reader(s).
 
With a fear of working out alone she always ran (figuratively) to the nearest exit. When I could I would invite her along with me to the gym or pool, hoping it would inspire her to find the courage to go alone, but she was still without courage. As she watched me push myself harder and harder with determination of never giving up even at the lowest points somewhere a spark ignited inside and she decided to ask someone at work if they wanted to go on a walk during lunch.
 
Through this conversation others got involved, they learned of the gym within their office and decided to investigate. Their company provides a treadmill, elliptical and weight machines in a small gym within their building, something any hard working 9-5er would kill for. Through talking, these women have opted for 20 minutes a day to spend in the gym, each person taking a few minutes on each machine. To the listener is sounds like a chaotic mess, but in reality it works for them.
 
But more than anything I'm proud of my mom for taking the steps to find someone else who too was shy, but wanting to go to the gym as well. However, her story doesn't end here. Through this challenge of walking into the gym for the first time, she was faced with her worst fear when the other women had projects that didn’t allow them to go to the gym, and that was going alone. She was determined not to let her fear dance on her progress so she decided to plug her head phones in and boogey down (her exact words) to her iPod... ALONE!!!
 
Everyone has a fear of stepping outside of their box. I've been there, afraid of the looks, comments, etc., but in retro spec I rather get them at the gym than in the food store because in the gym at least they all know I'm working my butt of literally and figuratively to be healthy.
It's not easy getting over that fear, it comes with everything that is different, that could cause rejection. From dating to your career, it's something you have to face because without it, how are you ever going to know if you had a chance?
 
So I am going to say it WAY TO GO MOM, I AM SO PROUD OF YOU! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!

Advice to start working out

Throughout my whole journey people have asked me for advice. "How do you stay motivated?" "What made you decided to change?" "Can you give any pointers?"

My advice is this JUST DO IT. Concurring your fears are the first step. Don't be afraid to look like an idiot because I guarantee everyone who has ever walked into a gym for the first time has felt the same way at least once or twice.

Being scared is a natural reaction to something new. But the feeling of accomplishment is the most amazing feeling at the end of the day.

I started working out 4 years ago after a really bad horse back riding accident. I was tired of the pain and working out seemed the best way to help me heal. Four years later I've lost over 100 lbs and feel the best I have in years. So it wasn't a look in the mirror or seeing a picture of me that changed my lifestyle decisions, it was a horse and a wall.

Start slow and don't expect results right away. That's the hardest thing to accept honestly. Not seeing results from your hard work within a week or two is frustrating and causes many people to give up hope. But I promise if you stick with it you will slowly start to see results. A pound here or there or more definition in your arms and legs. You will want to see what boundaries you can push next.

I always say it takes 21 days to change a habit after that you are likely to keep that habit in your life by 50%. And once you reach four years there is truly no turning back (at least in my book).

 

Don't give up you will be amazed at your abilities.

Overcoming the plateau blues

I haven’t written in a long time about my journey. Mostly out of fear of feeling like a failure, but I’m not a failure, I was just stuck on a moving treadmill with no idea how to get off. I have been in a plateau for the last several months, 8 months to be exact.

I tried different challenges, running longer and harder, and doing more reps with my weights. Nothing was happening, I was fluctuating in the last 10 lbs on a weekly biases. Even a Biggest loser challenge at work didn’t help me. I started to think I was a failure, never going to find my way out. I changed my diet; adding, subtracting, changing etc. Nothing! I would lose a pound after gaining two and think yes I finally did it. Nope wrong again!

So where was I going wrong? I considered paying for a personal trainer, actually I still am, but my spirits aren’t completely dashed. I decided to find something challenging for myself first and that was training for an AquaBike Vineman, which is a 112 miles on bike and 2.4 miles swimming race. I set up a general idea of a training schedule to at least get my mind in the game, even though my body and courage wasn’t there yet.

Since I work nights I felt more energy running at night before bed and treasured my mornings where I could sleep in. But to get into this training I knew I needed to change that. My knee was killing me, as I had injured it yet again, giving me more motivation to hit the pool again.

I have always been an avid swimmer, trying to get it in on the weekends where I could. I felt relaxed and comfortable in my skin when in the pool. The first week if I made it to the gym twice in the morning I was happy. Told myself the following week will be three days, etc.; until I was there five to seven days a week.

The courage to change my routine was the hardest step. I was comfortable in the privacy of my own room working out. No one could judge me and I could go at my own pace. The first day walking back into a gym was the most nerve wracking experience I had to deal with. I didn’t know where anything was, how the machines worked or what my true goal was.

I slunk back to two bikes in the back row and found comfort in the fact that they were the exact same ones I used in college. Relief, but how much could I do? I didn’t have a distance in mind and decided twenty minutes was my maximum time I wanted to spend in the gym. After a very un-challenging workout I slunk out as if I wasn’t there and made my way home. But more than anything I found the piece of courage I needed to walk into the gym.

I’m six weeks in to this courage defining program. I swim a minimum of one mile five days a week and spend two days a week challenging myself on the bike reaching for further distances climbing up and down hills, followed by a full body weight lifting workout. I have finally reached my seven days a week at the gym and I honestly haven’t felt more pride and joy in myself than I have in a very long time.

The benefit of it all is I feel challenged, healthier, my knee isn’t in pain (most days), and I’m starting to slowly love my body as I watch it change over time.

I’m eleven days into my new workout regiment and I’m proud to say I’ve lost eleven pounds. In the end I’m not a failure, I was just lost, I’m a fighter (as I’ve been told). I’m truly a winner because I never gave up, despite how tempting it was. The plateau has proved to me that stepping out of my comfort zone is the ideal solution to almost anything. If you hate where you’re at change it!

Whether it’s your weight, job, hair, car, anything; take the steps and change it. It’s not going to happen overnight like most, myself included, wish would happen. So take the baby steps to find your next challenge.

Tell me have you ever been in a plateau? What did you feel and how did you change it?