Soreness

I have given quite a good deal of thought to the subject of soreness over the last few years. Kam has gone through phases of building muscle and insisted that the sore muscle thing was great. I never really understood this nor did I subscribe to the same thought process. Sore muscles were painful in my book. With that in mind it is no wonder that I also could not understand why someone would voluntarily workout with the intent to make the muscles sore. I understood the reasoning behind being healthy and fit. I even did workouts to target muscle groups with the intention of toning. My definition of toning was firmer muscles without pain.

Twelve years later Kam and I own a personal training studio. I am a personal trainer. I have studied the science behind intentional muscle soreness. I have studied the thought processes of individuals looking to raise their self esteem. I have studied what it takes to support someone through tremendous weight loss and to support someone who is in need of building muscle mass. I have gone through much trial and error with my own body. The gaining and losing of weight takes quite a toll on the body and mind. I have been through this. I know first hand what my clients are experiencing. (This is with the exception of those who are in need of burning more than 40 pounds of fat. I have not had the need to burn more than that personally.) I also took the time to learn about nutrition both in college last spring and throughout the last 14 years of my own personal journey into health.

Ten weeks ago today I had major surgery. I had a hysterectomy. Two years ago in April I broke my leg requiring surgery to repair the damage. Both of these surgeries demanded recovery time. One of them gave me the insight to persue my future in the psychology field and to specialize in fitness or sports psychology. The other gave me the freedom to live in my body and appreciate my total health. After four weeks from my hysterectomy, I began to increase my cardio workouts. At the six week mark I began to reintroduce my weight training. Now, at the ten week mark, I am working out with my clients, teaching classes, and leading a 20 minute ab class 2-4 times per week.

Over the course of the past 10 weeks I have been in some state of soreness. In the beginning it was surgical pain. Then I had sore abs, also from the lapriscopic surgery. Then I was sore as I started to move my body. The new beginnings of cardio and weight training brought about some post surgical setbacks I had not anticipated. I found myself needing to take it easy. I could not demonstrate for clients and use any "real" weight. This would take me back to the couch with forced rest.

But about four weeks ago I had a shift. I felt a "mental pop" of sorts. As I was coming back from my six week check up there was a voice in my head. (Don't worry my degree is in psychology. We (psychologists) are supposed to have voices in our heads.) That voice said, "You should go workout. Stop at the studio and lift weights. BIG weights." I was almost worried. What I did was start to increase my activity. I started doing my own workouts with light weights. I started playing more with clients. I started teaching more classes. I started to get SORE. At first I wondered what was happening. I asked Kam, "Why is *insert body part here* sore? What did I do that would make me sore there?" Bless her, she was always patient. She always takes the time to inform me of my body and remind me that exercise can make you sore. She smiles, but never laughs at me, when I tell her I don't like being sore.

Today marks the first day that I intentionally did a workout because I was NOT sore. I get it now! I woke early. (You really need to know this was not by choice. There were too many snoozes on the alarm clock. All three animals thought it was time to get attention. I was doomed not to sleep another minute.) I left the house and started my workout by 7:10 AM! I realized that my upper body was not sore. I wanted to workout. I wanted to try harder. I wanted to push myself to the very limits. I wanted to see the strength of my body. I felt that power. I felt the pride of completing what I set out to achieve. I get it now! I have the drive and the desire to explore the depths of my personal power! I am so excited about this. I want to share it with my clients. I have always wanted to support and assist them in discovering their own health but now I have a personal understanding of how that health goes to a very deep level!