Exercise, it’s no secret that I love it and it’s no secret that I’ve been having a time recently. I cracked my ribs in January and my best laid plans for improving my deadlift by my birthday mid February were out the window. Not exercising is very hard for me, so what have I learned and what can I teach you?
No gym for me
When I cracked my ribs my goal was to get back to deadlifting my body weight and improving my shoulder stability but sadly where I had cracked it meant that I couldn’t hold anything heavy, I couldn’t lie on my back or my stomach. I couldn’t put my arm above my head, couldn’t twist, push or pull.
Basically, I couldn’t exercise.
Needless to say, my verbal skills were used a lot at work and I was still able to instruct my clients and no-one lost any progress in my time being injured. But that doesn’t help me be more active!
What can I control?
This was an important question for me, if I focused only on what I couldn’t do it would have driven me mad.
Ok, I couldn’t lift weights, that was very hard and I couldn’t do bodyweight exercises. I couldn’t stretch and sitting and standing too long was painful but…
Exercise
I could walk. Not for very long and not with a heavy bag but I could do it.
I could do bike work if I had some support on my abs, in the form of a waist trainer.
I could still teach spin, just with some breaks for myself.
Nutrition
The painkillers made eating big meals hard because they made me feel so nauseous. So, I focused on protein shakes, making sure I was getting adequate protein each day because I would struggle to get enough in the form of food.
I ate a lot of Wotsits, no they’re not the health food that you’re looking for but calories are calories and they are easy to eat.
Fruit was easier than vegetables to I ate those, soup was simple and healthy and so I made the best choices possible with what was available.
Knowing about nutrition and what works for me made this easier.
Sleep
I was not sleeping well, or much at all. I would wake up in the middle of the night with pain and wake up tired in the morning.
So I would nap when I could.
Strategic coffees here and there.
Plenty of water to avoid tiredness from dehydration.
I was aware that lack of sleep would make me crave sugar and junk food more so I was mindful with what I ate and reminded myself that even though my brain wanted all of the sugar all of the time(!!!), that it wasn’t what I actually needed.
Stress management
This is a big one for me cos exercise is my go-to for improving my mental health. I had to find other strategies.
Some days this meant turning off my phone because notifications from social media were overwhelming. Other days this meant reaching out to my friends who would send me funny memes and make me laugh (which ironically also hurt a bit)
It meant having some quiet time to myself after work to de-compress from a long day of talking and concentrating.
I created a new morning ritual involving good coffee and cat cuddles to replace the time I spent exercising.
All of these self care tips were essential in stopping me from going mad.
The anxiety of resting
This can be a big problem for a lot of people. Having to stop exercising can feel like the end of the world. You’ve worked so hard and now you can’t do it anymore.
Sometimes life simply gets in the way. Anything from work to kids to mental health issues can step in and ruin your plans. It is so important then to pay attention to what you are capable of doing.
A short pause in your workout routine doesn’t have to turn into a lifetime of doing nothing. Yes, it will be harder when you workout again and yes starting the habit of going to the gym will be a bit laborious initially. But I want you to remember what you are capable of doing.
Your muscle tone will come back, your cardio fitness will once again be where it was before you stopped. Your energy levels will return, you will get excited about exercise and your body will thank you.
In Summary
If you have to stop working out, for whatever reason, this is not for the rest of your life. You will move again. You will be fit again. You are capable.
Do what you can, be aware of what is in your control and don’t give up.
Ainzlie
p.s – I have painted a positive picture of this and it can be with the right mindset, however I would be lying if I said that this was easy.
Taking a break from exercise can be hard, it’s ok to shout and swear and cry about it. It won’t last forever but feel free to complain as much as you need to.
