Backing Off

What do you do if you find that you've just overdone your new (or not so new) workout regimen? You must back off.

I discovered this last week when I walked 3 miles in the morning then danced 2 full hours the same evening. My bionic knees were hurting. Is that even possible? Well, the bionic knees have living muscles and tendons attached to hold them in place and I had stressed at least one of those. Turns out it was two - the one(s) that lift the knee and the one(s) that lower the knee - the motion of going up and down stairs. Not fun.

I did walk the next day, but avoided the stairs that my friend and I usually climb at both ends of the mall during our 4 rounds of those corridors. I also, sadly, stayed away from my Thursday night dance. That was a hard sacrifice for me ;-( I also iced the knee several times when it was achy.

But, it worked! After sticking to walking only , avoiding stairs, and abstaining from dancing for a full week, I was able to dance 1.5 hours tonight. I purposely did not walk this morning and I did not dance the full 2 hours. Better to get to dance for most of the time than not at all. I didn't want to reinjure whatever parts of the anatomy had been displeased with last week's activities.

So, there you have it. Backing off is hard for an enthusiastic overachiever like me. I don't tend to do things half way. But I have learned that I need to pay attention to what my body is telling me so that I can continue to do as much as I can/want rather than becoming overwhelmed with pain and losing my motivation. Works for me.



***************************Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude. You can trust the information you find here. It's from a dedicated walker. Trust me and your life will get better! I promise.