Power through the dog days
It’s so great to be back in Cali! As much as I loved going home to New York, seeing my boyfriend, I seriously missed Burn Fitness. The only problem is that since I returned to the warm wonder that is Santa Monica I’ve been experiencing a run of health related issues that include recurring migraine headaches and back problems.
You know, it’s hard enough between work, family obligations and daily responsibilities to get up and rolling, so how do you get up and get going when on top of the day-to-day minutia that gets in your way, you are burdened with medical problems, too? And how do you remain on your diet plan and stay motivated?
First, I’m not a doctor, so please, if you have a serious health condition, you most certainly should consult with a physician and follow his or her recommendations. Secondly, the “maladies” of which I write are not “life threatening” so, if you’re having a heart attack, forgo hopping on the elliptical in favor of a call to 911.
Some of you who read my column probably think, “Oh, easy for her to espouse upon the wonders of working out, she doesn’t have arthritis or osteoporosis or irritable bowel syndrome.” I’m here to tell you, I’m just like you. It’s not easy for me to wake up at the crack of dawn and cheerfully greet the day when I have back and neck pain, or I’m in the throes of a throbbing headache. Some days I really want to stay in bed. Some days my body aches — most of the days my body aches — and some days I just feel “blah.” But after I leave the gym — no matter how miserable I felt before I got there — I will say this, and this is the honest truth, I feel better for having gone.
There are those of you out there who have been tracking my progress and are already on a fitness regimen, others may be reading the column for the first time. To those of you who are working out and staying fit, and have suffered aches and pains and have endured, I say, “Keep up the great work. I know that road is not easy.” To those of you who are maybe at work right now, chomping on a donut and sucking down a 460 calorie mocha venti frappuccino, who are wondering why you don’t feel great and are thinking, “I could never start a diet,” or “I’m so far gone I wouldn’t even know where to begin,” or the most self-defeating saying of them all — “It’s too late for me and my health,” I say, “Hah!” I laugh not at you but at the absurdity of this negative and incorrect mode of thinking. It is never too late, even if you have aches and pains, especially if you have aches and pains.
Did you know that it is a fact that regular weight training helps stave off osteoporosis? That’s right. Weight training helps prevent bone loss and may even help build new bone. Trust me when I tell you it is never too late.
All it takes is the desire and belief to change. You have to want to change and have to believe that you can do so. When an athlete trains for a marathon, he doesn’t think, “I’m going to get halfway to the finish line.” No. He imagines that he’s crossing that line. But don’t panic. I’m not saying you need to run a marathon, nor am I suggesting you set such lofty goals. All I’m saying is that you have to envision that you are getting healthy before you become healthy.
So when you’re hit with a morning where you aren’t feeling up to par there are still ways to get fit, and even the smallest attempt at getting healthy is better than no attempt at all. And if you absolutely cannot get to the gym for gosh sakes, watch your diet. Utilize the Fatburn.com program to keep count of your calories. There’s no reason you can’t stay or get on track.
If you have any type of a migraine I don’t advise an intense cardio workout. Migraine pain can increase blood pressure and cause vascular constriction. To prevent migraines from occurring I take B vitamins: B-5 (pantothenic acid), B-6 (pyridoxine HCI), folic acid, and riboflavin — again check with your doctor to determine what is best for you.
But, if it’s aches and pains from which you suffer, and when I wake I routinely have aches and pains, I generally take a couple Tylenol, and stick it out. Sometimes I take Advil or a motrin-based product. You can probably take an anti-inflammatory like Aleve as well, but Tylenol seems to work best for me.
For my back, which by the way, always hurts, I rub copious amounts of Tiger Balm into my shoulders, neck and lumbar region. I also keep covered up so that my muscles stay warm and loose.
If you do decide to tough it out, simply go at a lower pace. If you typically hit the treadmill running, take it easy. It’s better to come to the gym, and go through an hour of cardio at a slow pace than to lie in your warm, snuggly bed accruing extra, unwanted calories.
And incidentally I feel wretched today, but I’m here … at the gym, writing my column on my iPhone whilst pedaling on a reclining bike. Rock it out folks!
Contact Taylor at tailfish@roadrunner.com.
By the numbers
Starting Weight: 182
Pounds Lost: 32.
Current Weight: 150
Goal Weight: 135
Pounds to Lose to Goal: 15
