WHY I BROKE UP WITH MY PAIN FACE…

Fellow Steemians!

Have you ever had a PT (personal trainer) session and just felt absolutely exhausted? So much that, the next few days are a drag, you're actually more sore two days later and it puts you off from wanting to go again. Not to mention the steep price associated with getting beaten around. I used to train at the gym around 6 days a week, sometimes even going more than once a day. All the pain, exhaustion and fatigue led me on a downward spiral and it put me off exercise for almost a year. The lack of motivation also became a burden on other parts of my life and it took me a long time to get back on track.

My work college and close friend Alex is an absolute gem. She is all things body, mind and spirit and takes this blog to another level. If you struggle to feel motivated and active, I encourage you give this a read and pursue exercise and nutrition with a positive mindset rather than a chore. Healthy learning, healthy living. ENJOY!

WHY I BROKE UP WITH MY PAIN FACE...

Pain-face (noun): The involuntary, grimace-like facial expression one makes when experiencing pain or high physical exertion.

Like any break up, it was tough- really tough. I knew it was the right thing to do a long time before I did it, but the decision to finally cut ties was, and still is one of the hardest decisions i’ve had to make. My ability to push and test my body’s physical and mental limits was associated with dedication, fitness and health; both internally and socially gratifying. Go hard or go home is what they say right?

Well, I think home (on the couch) is exactly where my body wanted to be. No I wasn’t feeling fatigued, lethargic or in pain like some typical stories of ‘Adrenal Fatigue’ (correctly/scientifically known as Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Dysregulation). I genuinely felt amazing, had great blood work and leapt out of bed each morning bright and full of energy. My physical abilities continued to improve and I was incorporating adequate nutrition, rest and recovery practices into my week. I loved every minute of my exercise, yet silently, my hormones did not.

Combined with the normal stressors of our modern lifestyle, engaging in bursts of high intensity exercise that activated my ‘fight-flight’ stress response nearly everyday for the last four years sent my cortisol (stress hormone) levels through the roof. Naturally, this meant that others responsible for functions like reproduction and positive mood were in dire straights. Based on evolutionary survival mechanisms, my body perceived it was under constant, life-threatening attack. While this response would have been very handy in caveman times if I was being chased by a lion, unfortunately, the body can also overreact to stressors that are not life-threatening, such as traffic jams, work pressure, family difficulties, low caloric intake and… exercise. And without going into complex biology or hormonal cascades, I’m afraid to say, it’s either one pathway or the other. You can’t have all the benefits of ‘rest and digest’ such as optimal digestion, fertility and sleep, when you’re fighting or flighting. I made a change.

So why have I chosen to share this personal matter in such a public domain? Well, I know that I’m not alone. The amount of people within the fitness community, both female and male, that have recently expressed to me they’re experiencing a variety of ailments is alarming. From absent or irregular menstrual cycles to low testosterone, depression and anxiety, thyroid issues, gastrointestinal problems, complete exhaustion, reoccurring injury and low libido, don’t you think it’s time to put our egos to rest and listen to what our body is desperately trying to communicate?!

This DOES NOT mean stopping exercise- we all know physical activity is crucial for our health. The point I’m trying to make is that it is possible to do too much of a good thing, even when you think you’re being smart about it. I understand some individuals have chosen to become professional athletes and as such, different principles may apply (arguably), however for the majority of us looking to keep fit and healthy, it’s worth considering training smarter rather than harder. Let’s just say the results that I and others have gained from doing this in a bit of a personal experiment, have been more life changing than any other gainzzzz I’d attain from the gym.

• Begin to enjoy the feeling of movement…that kinaesthetic flow of your limbs moving in space and body gliding through different planes. Do movements that feel right on that given day and mix it up, incorporating bodyweight-only movement. Yes even you Big Dawgs!
• Be conscious of your breath. Slow it down and let it pace your movement. If you’re doing HIIT, show your body the difference between “AGGGHHHH!!!” (work) and “ahhhh” (rest) ratios so it knows you are in control of this ‘threat’.
• SMILE, through your entire workout. Trick your body into thinking you’re cool calm and collected (you should be having fun anyway, exercise isn’t punishment!).
• NO negative vocalisations while training- including but not limited to moans, groans, grunts and complaints. Unless you’re faking it to look tough, this is a tell tale sign you’re pushing it too far.
• Appreciate that regardless of whether you think you exercise hard or not, other life stressors are also at play. Ensure you are resting regularly and consuming adequate energy in relation to your exertion, including ALL macronutrients.
• Be aware of your own and social media’s idolisation of intense exercise and its supposed correlation to ‘dedication’. Unfollow any accounts that make you feel inadequate and resist that urge to do a second [or third] workout for the day, even if you are feeling great.

So all in all, you can still exercise everyday, especially if it’s a social thing and makes you feel good, just. be. more. mindful.  If you see me grinning or stripping back the weight on my barbell during a gruelling workout, please don’t remind me to ‘work harder’ or that I can lift heavier. I appreciate the compliment and maybe tomorrow I will stack it on, but for now i’d rather focus on the number of kids I can have rather than the number of kilograms on my bar, calories burnt or reps attained. 

Peace x 

PS. I am an occupational therapist, but not an exercise physiologist. Everything above is from personal opinion, research and experience. 

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If you would like any further information, advice or general chat with myself or Alex feel free to leave a comment or message me on steemit.chat  :) 

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To see original post from Alex please visit; https://simplyeudaimonia.wordpress.com/2017/10/11/why-i-broke-up-with-my-pain-face/

Namaste <3