Welcome to Friday fitness! Every Friday I’m going to make a “this is why you’re fit” post, touching on an aspect of health and wellness. I plan to cover physical matters such as nutrition and exercise, as well as mental and emotional topics like building positive habits.
This week, I want to talk about a good habit that will affect your ability to engage in your favorite active pursuits, the inner workings of your body, and even your appearance. There are no tricky moves involved, nothing to buy, and you can do it pretty much everywhere you go. I’m talking about drinking water, of course!
Staying hydrated is just as important as getting enough rest, eating a balanced diet, and avoiding a sedentary lifestyle. This week, the Huffington Post demystified the “rules” of getting enough liquid in your system.
Just as you can drink too little water, you can over-saturate your system if you start guzzling H2O by the gallon. Everyone knows the 8 x 8 method (aim for 8 8-0z. glasses daily), but as with most health matters, it’s different for every person depending on your age, activity level, and a host of other factors.
The HuffPost article referenced something I’ve used since my days as a counselor at Girl Scout camp: the next time you have to use the restroom, take a quick glance at the color of your urine. During hikes or weekends spent camping in the woods, we’d frequently stop for water/bathroom breaks. As the campers headed off for the woods or latrines, we’d shout, “all clear?” “I’m clear, we’re clear, everybody’s clear!” they’d reply.
You can sound the all-clear for yourself with a look at this handy chart from the Boy Scouts of America, posted by Blisstree.
However, saying “stay hydrated” is one thing. Actually forming the habit is another! In a nation with a clean and plentiful water supply, it shouldn’t be a challenge to remember to sip water throughout the day. But we’re busy. And it can be hard to remember to keep the water flowing if you’re not engaging in physical activity.
One of my co-workers keeps a 32-oz. bottle at her desk, and makes sure she fills and finishes it twice throughout the day. I found that what works for me is having a cute and cheerful water bottle. I smile every time I see it:
Kick the dehydration habit!
It’s a fairly small bottle, holding about as much as a can of soda. That makes it the perfect size for my bag; it also means that I drain it fairly quickly, forcing me to stand up and walk away from my desk for a refill. As sitting all day is another common issue to avoid, having a task that keeps me hopping up frequently breaks two bad habits for the price of one.*
And I have to say, not only does drinking more water gives me a bit more energy, it helps protect my skin from the ravages of winter dryness.
Share with me– what’s your “this is why you’re fit” this week?
*Extra credit because this gets you moving whether the water is coming or going– I may have taken a bathroom break in the course of writing this post. Yes, mom, I washed my hands.
Just when you thought it was safe to stop thinking about body policing, health, and self-esteem, the Academy Awards blew into town. I personally wasn’t invested in which film won what award (except for The Muppets!), but I was bowled over by one overwhelming media reaction:
Angelina Jolie needs to eat a goddamn cheeseburger.
From individuals on Twitter and Facebook to news sites like TMZ, it was like lolcats had brainwashed the entire internet[s].
Yes, Angelina is thin. But unless you yourself are Angelina Jolie (and if you are, thanks for reading!) OR her doctor, get your nose out of her business and step away from the snark. Two of my friends mentioned that they were sick of people using hamburgers as a universal panacea for being thin. I did a little searching (for “Angelina cheeseburger”, amazingly) and found some wonderful support for my own feelings on the matter.
“Look, I get that Angelina Jolie is thin, and that she also burns the brightest of all of our Bright Hollywood Stars and is therefore subject to more scrutiny than your average woman. However, body snarking of the “eat a sammich, skinny” variety is hardly different from body snarking of the “stop eating sammiches, fatty” variety that we (hopefully) know better than to post in our Facebook feeds.”
BlissTree‘s Briana Rognlin weighed in, and called for a cheeseburger embargo:
“Even if we knew more about the state of her health or body image, telling someone who you suspect has an eating disorder to eat more just isn’t body positive, and it’s not helping Jolie or anyone else.”
Even Bill O’Reilly referred to Jolie as “emaciated” on The O’Reilly Factor, which Jezebel‘s Tracie Egan Morrissey calls “concern-trolling.”
“You’re a little late to the game on this one, but we’re sure you’re genuinely worried about whether or not she has an eating disorder, so much so, in fact, that you’d be willing to call out how gross you find her, physically, on TV because we all know how women respond so well to having their bodies scrutinized. I’m sure she’s stepped up her caloric intake all because of last night’s broadcast. Good work, pal!”
My thoughts exactly. As someone who struggled with body image in college and had more than a handful of friends with eating disorders, the worst thing you can do for someone with disordered eating is to judge them and tell them how they should own their health. On top of that– how do you know if Angelina or anyone else has disordered eating, engages in unhealthy behavior, and eschews cheeseburgers? For all you know, she made the limo driver stop at a drive-thru on the way to the Oscars, and Brad had to help her fish a pickle slice out of her decolletage.
You can’t make a snap judgment on someone’s health based on their looks. A friend of mine who self-identifies as “zaftig” runs over 40 miles a week and has textbook-perfect blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, and glucose levels. Another friend, while visually on the tres petite end of the spectrum, has a family history of high cholesterol which wasn’t helped by her cheese addiction.
My point is that everyone feels pressured to conform to a very small range of acceptable– that whole “be skinny, but don’t lose your curves!” message again. This is especially true for someone as visible as a Hollywood star. I’m glad to see backlash for “eat a [calorie dense food]” because the truth is, we don’t really know the truth. I’d rather we concentrated on the industries that create this type of pressure, and work to grow acceptance for bodies of all shapes and sizes.
Judgment in the guise of concern is not the answer. Burgers are not a cure for issues with body image, and disordered eating can’t be solved with a prescription for sandwiches.
This is not the post I had planned for today! But we’ll put that post on the back burner for now, because I just saw something that made me realize need to cover another aspect of health that’s just as important as eating well and exercising– if not more! One of my favorite resources for banishing fitness boredom is BodyRock. The “home workout movement” features free daily workout videos, and their challenging moves fall under the category of high intensity interval training. Their instructors are encouraging and upbeat, although it feels a little gratuitous to see the female trainers only work out in sports bras and very brief shorts.
I also follow them on Facebook, and today they posted “like this post if you feel the same way!” with a picture of a very zaftig lady wearing lacy pink briefs. The picture was captioned “a woman without curves is like jeans without pockets: you don’t know where to put your hands.”
First of all, this message isn’t about the woman, it’s about the person wanting to put their hands on her. Why is she just an object? Second, I don’t want soft-core images from my workout gurus. I want pictures of people challenging themselves, pushing their limits, and being active, not come-hither. Third, women come in all sizes and shapes. They’re all capable of being happy, healthy, and attractive, although I’m more concerned with accomplishing my personal goals and less concerned with which men want to put their hands on me (actually I’d prefer not to think about that… otherwise I’d never walk down the street).
Men come in all sizes and shapes, too, although I’ve never seen an image that says, “a man without muscles is like jeans without pockets: you don’t know where to put your hands.”
Your sense of self matters more than having six-pack abs. Call it inner health, call it self-esteem, confidence, or whatever makes sense to you. I’d rather be happy and comfortable in my own skin than obsess over every morsel of food that goes into my mouth. I never want to feel that I need to work out to maintain my dress size, rather than just exercising because it makes me feel good. Yes, I admire my arms (frequently), but I don’t beat myself up if I skip a day, or if I can’t lift as much as the woman at the next bench. Each and every athlete is different, and I’m not in competition with them. I’m not even in competition with myself!
The problem with being interested in health and fitness is that you see a ton of health and fitness messages by companies who want your repeat business. Magazines want you to keep subscribing. Stores want you to keep buying. Gyms and trainers want you to keep up your membership. There are some great people out there who really do have their customers’/students’ best interests at heart, but at the end of the day, that magazine/clothing store/gym is a business, and they need you to make a profit. What sells?
Insecurity, that’s what.
There have been many studies done about the number of messages women receive in a day. Ads, articles, commercials, TV, internet, movies, magazines. You’re bombarded with people who are Photoshop-perfect, smiling with white teeth as they effortlessly glide through life. These unattainable, aspirational images are meant to sell you on the product, whether it’s deodorant, pink razors, diet pills, or shapewear.
I try to avoid generalizations, but I think it’s safe to say that most women have something they’d like to change about their bodies. Ads used to blatantly dance along the edge of women’s desire to lose weight. Then, finally, women started fighting back with body-positive messages like “I love my curves” or “kiss my big butt!”
Did companies respect this message? Did the people behind the ads say, “hey, we should stop telling women there’s something wrong with them?”
If you believe that, I’ve got this great bridge for sale…
The message is still there. It just has a new face, or a more subtle hook. Some companies, like Nike actually do a pretty decent job with positive motivation:
“A WOMAN IS OFTEN MEASURED by the things she cannot control. She is measured by the way her body curves or doesn’t curve, by where she is flat or straight or round. She is measured by 36-24-26 and inches and ages and numbers, by all the outside things that don’t ever add up to who she is on the inside. And so if a woman is to be measured, let her be measured by the things she can control, by who she is and who she is trying to become. Because every woman know, measurements are only statistics and STATISTICS LIE.”
Great message, right? Although they’re still trying to sell you shoes/pants/sports bras, this is at least a step in the right direction.
What I have a problem with is messages that try to play women against each other, or elevate one body type by bashing another. The biggest weapon in this body battle royale is one simple word: “curves.”
Having curves used to mean that you weren’t as thin as society thinks you should be, and you were okay with that. That you were proud of your womanly figure. That in itself was problematic (you can still have a womanly figure if you’re not terribly curvy, right?) but it was a stand against the “thin is in!” tsunami.
Then curves became a gauntlet in the face to any woman who wasn’t voluptuous enough. “Real women have curves.” I’m pretty sure a real woman… is anyone who identifies as a woman. Curvy, not-so-curvy, two X chromosomes, transgendered… if you feel like a woman, you’re a real woman.
I’m simply not a fan of this body-conscious trend. What does it matter, as long as you’re happy and healthy and comfortable in your own skin? And when did curves become the new C-word? Women get enough messages telling them they’re not ____ enough (fill in the blank with young, sexy, skinny, successful, etc.). We shouldn’t be encouraged to turn on each other and judge who gets to be a woman and who’s left out.
Happy Friday! This has been a really exciting week for me. Last night, I had the privilege of attending an event hosted by C-CAP (Careers Through Culinary Arts Program). It’s an amazing organization that helps underserved students prepare for a career in the culinary industry. Some of today’s top chefs got their start through C-CAP, and the annual benefit is a showcase of talent and a chance to support the program. I’ll be posting a full review next week!
After last night, I rested up and did some finger stretches for today’s treat: it’s Social Media Week in NYC and around the world, and I attended/attempted to liveblog (@toughcookienyc) a keynote talk on the new food role models (Chefs, bloggers, cookbook authors) and a debate on what makes a food trend (who’s kale’s PR rep?). The panels were fun and informative, and I got to meet a really friendly group of bloggers, chefs, and fellow food-lovers. We all agreed it was tough talking about food without having some snacks to carry us through the lunchtime stomach-rumbles!
One aspect of the two events that I loved: it really brought home how food brings everyone to the table. And I think it shows that the sustainable/eco-friendly movement is much more lasting than a fad or a trend. Blue Hill and Oceana represented the local/seasonal and sustainable seafood aspects of cooking last night at C-CAP. Today, Bun Lai from Miya’s Sushi in New Haven, CT talked about growing his own seaweed and using invasive species rather than fish from faraway waters. Robyn O’Brien spoke on how her children’s allergies opened her eyes to how food and health are inextricably linked.
I’m going to be exploring both events (and the interrelation between food and wellness) much more in subsequent posts. I’m also planning a visit to Miya’s with my mom– Chef Lai was thrilled to hear she’s a naturalist with an interest in invasive species, so we’re going to take a road trip for some sustainable sushi ASAP!
Concentrating on how food can improve and enhance your life is probably the biggest, best This is Why You’re Fit I can imagine. We’ll just have to see how to keep raising the bar!
What are some of your favorite foods for health, or wellness practices in your daily routine?
Greetings, lovebirds! The most (or least, depending on your cynicism) romantic day of the year has everything: hearts, candy, chocolate, flowers, and chubby flying babies with projectile weapons.
V-Day doesn’t have much meaning for me, although I do enjoy any excuse to cook a special meal (stay tuned for that post tomorrow!). But I started thinking about how February 14 could be repurposed as a celebration of fitness instead of a day of sugar and dating pressure.
One of my biggest inspirations for being healthy is my father. We’re a lot alike, actually– both stubborn, both happier when we’re exercising regularly. Dad kayaks every day, and goes for long walks when boating conditions keep him off the river. But he also has a genetic tendency toward elevated cholesterol and high blood pressure, which motivates him to stay active and make good dietary choices. The few times he’s had health issues, doctors have told him that his level of fitness probably prevented more serious complications. I can’t think of a better reason to start thinking about your long-term health than that.
So my proposal for today is simple: don’t just tell someone you care about them. Show them! Take care of yourself, so you’ll be around and in good health for a long time. Instead of candy hearts, use this day as a reminder to think about your own cardiac system. Are you getting enough exercise? Choosing good fuel for your body?
February is Heart Health month, and there are some great tips for good practices (and recipes!) at Women’s Health Magazine and epicurious. In the spirit of love and friendship, help someone you know take better care of themselves, too:
1. If working out feels like a chore, partner up and have some fun. Try a game of tennis, or just go for a long walk in the park.
2. Instead of going out to eat, swap recipes and cook healthy meals together.
3. Give the gift of health! Instead of sweet nothings and empty calories, take your main squeeze salsa dancing. Or rock-climbing! Or if the fastest way to your spouse’s heart is through their stomach, surprise them with something delicious yet healthful, like a set of exotic spices.
By this point in our relationship, my Husband Elect knows I don’t need flowers to feel adored, and I’m definitely not the “I love you BEARY much” stuffed animal type. He finds ways to express his love that fit both of our personalities, and that makes the gestures that much more thoughtful. This week I’m going in a million different directions: setting up wedding plans, taking a writing class, leaping tall buildings in a single bound. You know, the usual. One thing I haven’t been able to do is plan our meals for the week!
I was on my way out the door, resigned to buying lunch today, when my guy handed me a plain white takeout bag. “Keep this cold,” he said. “And enjoy!”
I didn’t peek all morning, although the suspense made it hard to concentrate on my work. When lunchtime finally rolled around, I opened the plain white bag to find an equally plain black box.
When I lifted the lid, the contents were even more exciting than a fancy chocolate assortment:
On the 14th of February, my true love gave to me....
Not everyone would think to say it with sushi, but it was the perfect quick and filling lunch for a hectic day!
Check back tomorrow, when I share how I returned the favor.
In February 2005, the future Mr. ToughCookieNYC and I graduated from circling each other in a shy, awkward mating dance (choreographed for nerds, by nerds) and took our first tentative steps as a couple. Seven years later, I’d say we’ve hit the tango stage of our relationship– both figuratively and literally. What better way to celebrate our love than a brunch that’s both health-conscious and flavorful?
Say it with pancakes!
I think the brunch was a success, as my Husband Elect started attacking his food before I could snap a picture of the plate. So you don’t get to see the perfectly crispy turkey bacon I made. Also not pictured: fresh-squeezed orange juice. I may or may not have squeezed the oranges with my bare hands, as I imagine She-Hulk might.
I tried to come up with traditional brunch classics (scrambled eggs, pancakes, bacon, juice, coffee) and reinvent them in a way that felt indulgent without actually being unhealthy. The pancakes were light and fluffy, but I used egg whites, skim milk, and applesauce, instead of whole milk and butter. The scrambled eggs had 2 whole eggs and a generous helping of egg whites. My iced mocha? Made with skim milk, cocoa powder, and a scoop of unsweetened protein powder. And the salad and mixed berries provide fiber and vitamins.
Scrambled eggs
2 whole eggs
1/2 c. egg whites
2 Tb skim milk
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Crack the eggs into a bowl; beat with a fork to blend yolks and whites. Add egg whites and skim milk, and beat with fork until blended. Add salt and pepper. Place a skillet over medium heat; melt a little butter (or use cooking spray, if preferred) into the pan. Pour in the eggs. As the eggs begin to set, gently pull the mixture across the pan with the fork, forming large curds (or clumps). Work from all angles of the pan, gently moving the eggs around as they cook. No need to stir constantly– just pull and rest, pull and rest. When eggs are cooked to desired consistency, serve immediately, grating a little extra fresh pepper over the top to taste.
Chocolate-chip pancakes
3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3 Tb. honey
1/3 c. egg whites
1 c. skim milk
4 Tb. applesauce
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
sprinkle of cinnamon powder
Chocolate chips, blueberries, etc. for topping
Combine flour and baking soda in a large bowl; mix with fork. In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, folding batter with a spoon. Be careful not to overmix. In a large pan, melt a little butter (or cooking spray) over medium heat. Pour batter in spoonfuls, leaving room between pancakes. When small bubbles start to appear, add chocolate chips, berries, etc. to batter. When bubbles cover most of the pancake’s top surface, flip with non-stick spatula and let cook an extra 1-2 minutes on the other side. Serve immediately, with fruit compote or pure maple syrup.
Happy belated 2012! Blink and 1/12th the year is gone. I had great plans to post food and fitness content regularly, but as the famous Lennon saying goes, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”
However, that’s the past. It’s a new year, or at least a new month, and I declare 2012 to be the year of the cookie.
One of the biggest obstacles I dealt with during my blog hiatus was the recurring shoulder issue I talked about back in November. I was making great progress with physical therapy, doing my exercises like it was my job, stretching every day, and noticing drastic improvements in my posture, strength, and stamina.
Then life threw me the proverbial curveball. Or, in this instance, it was more of a proverbial banana peel: I slipped and fell down the stairs in the subway.
I wish I could say I turned my fall into a graceful tumble, rolling down the steps with ninja-like grace before springing to my feet in a photo-finish worthy of an Olympic rhythmic gymnast. In reality, as my feet went out from under me I instinctively did the most aggressive fallbreak I’ve ever pulled off, including during my brown belt test. I fell sideways as I slipped, which meant my right (injured) side did all the work of dispersing impact.
Then I bumped and slid down a few more stairs, taking some hits to my right hip and thoroughly terrifying a very nice tourist family who didn’t realize that day’s forecast was “cloudy with a chance of falling bloggers.”
I didn’t feel the effects of my fall right away. My Husband Elect, the brilliant Dr. Funkenstein, drew me an Epsom salts bath, dosed me with extra-strength Advil, and helped me coat myself in arnica gel. He was kind enough to wait until I was relaxing on the couch with a heating pad and a mug of hot apple cider before breaking it to me that I had a bruise the shape (and approximate size, from what it felt like) of Long Island on my hip. I wrote a note to my head instructor thanking him for drilling me in fall breaks until they were second nature. Other than that, I told myself how lucky I was to be young, in good shape, and well versed in the fine art of falling properly.
The next day, I didn’t feel young or in good shape at all.
I had a splitting headache, my stomach was upset, and I wanted nothing more than to lie on the couch and moan gently into a decorative throw pillow, like a Regency romance heroine jilted by her beau. I made appointments with the physical therapist and chiropractor for evaluation and adjustments, and resigned myself to missing several weeks of martial arts classes.
I know I take things far too personally, and I’ll probably never be able to stop being too hard on myself. But I can’t stand feeling like getting injured—again!— is something I could have avoided. If only I hadn’t been in a hurry. Why did I have to get injured now? Blather, rinse, repeat.
Obviously, a game of self-blame and regret is the least helpful mindset for healing and recovery. I may be a badass, but I’m still human. I’ve dealt with injuries that interrupted my training before, but I still have to remind myself that I’m allowed to rest and heal before going back to the mat.
I’ve given myself permission to reorganize my priorities. Instead of my usual high-impact sessions devoted to self-defense techniques and sparring, I’ll be focusing on stabilizing and re-balancing my injured joints, and stretching out my sore muscles. My plan is to do a lot of walking and yoga, and become best friends with the resistance bands. If my PT gives the all-clear, I’m going to try modifying BodyRock’s High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) sessions— I might not be able to jump, but I can lunge, squat, and row like a pro. I’m calling this my February Fitness Challenge, and I’m excited to share my progress here!
Along with my fitness challenge, I’ll be changing up my meal plan. While I was injured (and wallowing, to be brutally honest), I fell into the trap of ordering dinner in. Easy, but also expensive and wasteful (all those plastic containers!). Besides, even the leanest, greenest choices are probably not as healthful as what I’d make at home. So expect plenty of new non-dessert recipes from me, although it wouldn’t be ToughCookieNYC without some triple-decker brownies here and there.
Have you dealt with a fall or other injury? Have any fun exercises, neat new gear, or delicious recipes to share? Tell me all about it!
It’s the week after Thanksgiving. Holiday songs are blaring in the stores, you’ve probably eaten turkey-and-cranberry sandwiches for dinner at least three nights in a row, and on every street corner and magazine cover, messages of holiday cheer are warring with holiday warnings for your attention. “Six scrumptious pumpkin recipes!” grapples with “Watch what you eat!” and you’re supposed to look forward to parties while suspecting your friends, carolers, Santa’s reindeer, and Jack Frost of sabotaging your diet, fitness routine, and hard-earned self-positive attitude. So much for peace on earth, right?
It’s true that the holidays can be fraught with stress and peril. It’s a time that comes with a lot of built-in expectations for how we’re supposed to feel (joy! gratitude!) and behave (party! celebrate!), and being merry and bright 24/7 takes a toll. On top of that, you’re supposed to sync the holiday whirlwind with your regular schedule, finding time for nourishing meals and your fitness routine. Does your office becomes a winter wonderland of candy and cookies? There’s sure to be an article warning you of the dangers of indulging, or recommending the least damaging option for your waistline. Or maybe you have a well-meaning friend, co-worker, or family member who likes to remind you how many calories are in that delicious piece of peppermint bark. It’s not easy, but there are ways to insulate yourself from the holiday heckling.
The first thing to remember is that this is your holiday season. Your body, your schedule, your choices. If you want to skip an invitation and squeeze in a long run, that’s your right. If you want to have a large glass of eggnog… I doubt it will do any lasting damage (unless the alcohol content is high and you find yourself freestyling to Little Drummer Boy… which might actually make you the hit of the party). The way most people think of it, the holiday season is trench warfare on your body, and the first month of New Year’s resolutions is the cavalry charge. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Make manageable commitments to health, and keep your fitness goals in mind. Are you trying to make it to the gym four times a week? You might have to get creative (pre-work or lunchtime workouts), but you can still make your sessions. Or adjust your plan slightly: can you be active at home? One of my favorite ways to build up a sweat on busy days is high intensity interval training. A friend sent me to Bodyrock, which is a fantastic resource for moves and routines that will have you panting and sweating buckets in under 15 minutes. All you need is a round timer (I downloaded a free application for my phone). Some exercises call for weighted balls, duffel bags, or dip stations, but I’ve been able to MacGuyver most accessories from household items. If you’re staying active, it’s easier to silence all the voices (internal and external) nagging you about those festive cheese balls.
Personally, I build room for indulgences into my mentality. Rigid abstention simply doesn’t work for me. When it comes to food, I’m a sensualist; from smooth butternut squash soup to crispy fried shallots, I treasure taste and texture. I don’t think there’s anything intrinsically virtuous in not having dessert. But there are those who think it’s their business that you’ve had second helpings of cornbread stuffing. What makes it their business? Unless they’re your doctor… absolutely nothing. People love to lecture or advise. When I’m feeling charitable, I tell myself it’s based on good intentions. If I’m annoyed, I tell myself that they’re too insecure to enjoy a treat guilt-free, and they’re trying to share the guilt. But guilt is one present I won’t accept this year.
The best defense against a guilt onslaught is to simply not engage. Anyone asking “should you really be eating that?” doesn’t really care about the answer. They just want you to deal with the question. A gym that puts a “don’t look like Santa– work off that bowlful of jelly!” sign in its window just wants your foot in the door and your membership dues in the accounts. Don’t fall for the guilt. You know your body. You know that whether you had roasted kale and lentils for dinner, or three candy canes and a double serving of latkes, you are in charge, and you don’t need to answer to anyone. Treating yourself one night isn’t the end of the world. Having a gingerbread snack attack isn’t going to undermine all your workouts, healthy recipes, and year-round badassitude. This year, give yourself the gift of self-confidence.
The next time you experience someone’s guilt onslaught, don’t buy into it. Instead, imagine a big red light and stop that negativity in its tracks. Then replace the guilt and stress with a you-positive message. It can be anything from “I rocked that Zumba class today” to “I make a kick-ass mulled cider!”
In the next few weeks, I’ll be posting a bunch of recipes, exercise tips, and tricks for making this season a time of light in the darkness.
It’s been far too long since I posted– online time is even more accelerated since dog years, so at this point it probably feels like at least a decade. I’ve been dealing with the resurgence of an old injury, which has affected my training. Difficulty training led to difficulty even writing about training. However, I realized that injuries, setbacks, and obstacles are part of any athlete’s experience, whether it’s as mild as a pulled muscle or something more serious. What’s important is how you address the issue and determine how to adjust your routine.
In my case, I separated my shoulder a few years ago while learning to do a forward roll. Check out the first 10 seconds in this video to see what I mean:
Instead of rolling over my scapula, I hit my acromioclavicular (or AC) joint, damaging the ligament that connects the acromion to the clavicle. This meant I couldn’t even lift my arm very far away from my body. I certainly couldn’t fight, lift weights, practice yoga, or even carry a large bag on that arm.
A separated shoulder is one of the most common sports injuries. The AC joint is one of the most mobile in the body, which means it’s also the least stable. Actually, both my parents have separated that same joint. My father, who was known for his daily 30 mile bike rides, went over the handlebars when he swerved to avoid a dog that had run onto the road. My mother slipped on a patch of ice on a hiking trail. (I should tell my sister to cushion her shoulders with bubble wrap.)
I was lucky to have the benefit of their experience and advice. “Go to physical therapy!” they said. “Immediately.” With the help of some small weights, plenty of resistance bands, and some dedicated therapists, I slowly built up strength in my back muscles (to anchor the scapula) and worked on stabilizing and strengthening the muscles around the joint. With a joint injury, you can’t improve the bones in the affected area– it’s all about the soft tissue.
After a few months, I went back to train. I had to relearn how to roll, which was both exhilarating and scary. This is where mental strength plays a key role in fitness and rehabilitation. I already had the discipline and determination to rebuild my shoulder– now I needed to face down the reason I had logged so many hours at PT. Of course, if your injury changes the scope of how you can perform, all the mental strength in the world won’t alter the fact that you simply should avoid a technique or a certain motion. In this case, I spoke with my orthopedist and therapist, and they agreed I could *carefully* relearn how to roll.
And, for several years, things were fine. I protected my shoulder and gradually stopped the additional exercises.
Trust me, I know now this was a big mistake.
When I started feeling pain in my shoulders, this time on both sides, I went right back to PT. The AC joint was fine, but my pectoral muscles were very tight, while my back muscles had weakened, drawing my shoulders forward. The strain I felt was the tight muscles pulling against the joints. This time, my routine became all about balance– relaxing the tight muscles, strengthening the weak muscles, and bringing everything into alignment again. I had to take a step back from my fast-paced routine to work at a slower, more deliberate pace. It was really hard to skip class and imagine my partners learning new techniques while I idled on the sidelines.
Ultimately, that kind of thinking was more destructive than an actual injury. I realized that for months I had been prepared to work more slowly, avoid some techniques, and bracing for the pain to return at the end of training. By focusing on fixing the problem at the most basic level, I would be able to return to training in better condition, with fewer aches and limits on my abilities.
So, what can you learn from my mistake?
1. Be honest with yourself. The first time around, I didn’t want to admit that it was a long-term injury.
2. Be upset. It’s okay to feel bad that you’re injured. Allow yourself to wallow for a little while, and then:
3. Be gentle on yourself. If your injury is more severe, it may be harder to shake off a funk. It’s okay to take some time to feel frustrated, and there’s no one right amount of time. Talk to your doctor, a training partner, or an instructor; odds are, they’ve been there, or know someone who has. It’s not a personal failure to have an injury, just an extra challenge to deal with. When you’re ready:
4. Burn it off. Do something that will help you purge those feelings. You’ve acknowledged them, and now it’s time to readjust your thinking to help you move away from that mentality. If activity helps you, build up a sweat or scream it out. If that’s not your style, take a few minutes to meditate. Or bake a loaf of bread. Scrub the bathtub if that helps. Wash it all away.
5. Be patient. Healing is a process. You’ll see progress, but probably not as much or as fast as you’d like. Don’t skip ahead just because you miss sparring, or chaturanga, or you’re sick of walking and need to run. Healing is your job right now, so focus on that.
6. Be persistent. Don’t shirk your rehab exercises! Sooner or later, you’ll end up right back where you left off, or worse.
Ultimately, it’s all about changing how you think about training. Progress in fixing your injury is still progress, even if you’re lifting half the weight you were before, walking one mile instead of ten, or doing push-ups from your knees (or not at all). If you’re goal-oriented and need some motivation, work on specific exercises to rehab your injury. Or try a new challenge!
Edited to add: I was talking with my friend C, who is doing a lot of interesting exercises at the gym. She mentioned the inverted row, so I looked it up and realized that after some more rehab work, I should try to fit it into my routine. I need to be careful with exercises with a pushing component (anything with press in the exercise name), but rows involve *pulling* and bring the back muscles into play. Check out this post from Nerd Fitness! My favorite line: “Let’s go SAT on this s.o.b. – “benchpress” is to “pushing” as “inverted row” is to “pulling.” Balance FTW!”
In the meantime, with an upper-body injury, I’ve turned to concentrating on my lower-body fitness. Weighted squats and step-ups were out for a while, so I played around with one-legged squats, lunges using a balance board, and a number of exercises to improve my agility and coordination. Don’t take yourself out of the race just because you’re no longer running at the same speed. My father has become a dedicated kayaker. My mother still hikes, just with ice cleats in winter. Change the course, change the destination… just keep going.
