Exercise Repair

5...4...3...2...1...HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Almost as soon as those words are said and the champagne haze begins to wear away, comes the inevitable question: What is your New Year's Resolution? More than any other resolution the first thing people say is that they want to get in better shape, exercise more, stay fit, and take better care of themselves. This usually results in a huge January jump in gym memberships and surge in sales of workout machines, everything which is usually all but forgotten and discarded before the groundhog pokes his head out of his hole.

So what is it that makes this time-tested resolution fail? It is a very good resolution, something that one would think they'd benefit from sticking to. For as many times as this resolution is made and is broken, there are reasons for why this happens:
"I'm too busy"
"It's too hard"
"I'm not seeing results fast enough"
"I'm too far gone for it to work"
"I'm not good at it"
"I try it once and then I hurt for weeks"
Many times excuses are just that - excuses. A change in lifestyle means that some things have to change, whether it's the time you spend on certain activities, or a change in your routine. Change also means that you must accept that things may not be as you want them to be immediately when you want them to be (twist your brain around that one!). Nevertheless, change - especially change that effects your body, is difficult and can take many tries. Intangible excuses are plentiful and gaining in popularity as well as acceptance in mainstream society. Tangible excuses however, like pain, are quite valid - but shouldn't always be the ultimate reason to quit.

Very often, a gung-ho new exerciser will hop into the gym on the first day of their new membership and be very excited to get going. They run on the treadmill for 20 minutes, then they lift dumbbells, use the leg press machine, then take an aerobics class, and leave the gym 2 1/2 hours later feeling healthy, energized, and excited about doing it all again tomorrow. The tomorrow comes and they ache, hurt, can barely lift their arms, cringe in pain as they try to put on their shoes, then pop a bunch of aspirin, decide to take the day off from the gym, then inevitably never return because they have no desire to be in that much pain ever again. Sound Familiar????? With exercising, overdoing it the first time is very easy because the effects have a delayed reaction. The pain and exhaustion that comes after the first workout is inevitable and can be discouraging and disheartening. The best way to keep it from stopping you is to take care of yourself while you begin this big change to your body.

The reason that your arms and legs (and everything else for that matter) hurt after your work out is a nasty little something called lactic acid. Lactic Acid is the byproduct, or waste, created by your muscles moving. The more your muscles are used, the more lactic acid is created. When the excessive amount of lactic acid caused by working out sits or flows through your muscles, that is when your muscles feel like they are "burning". Now the acid can't really harm the muscles, but it is uncomfortable and makes it hard to use the muscles effectively. This is actually what makes the muscles hurt after working out and the longer you go without getting rid of the excess lactic acid, the longer you will be sore and less likely to work out again.

Lactic acid is inevitable - it comes with the way the body works. You can't prevent a lactic acid buildup if you work out, but you can take steps to prevent the soreness that comes afterwards. The first and easiest thing you can do is drink lots of water. This keeps the muscles healthy and hydrated and encourages your system to flush out any excess fluids floating around in it. The next thing you can do is not overdo it when you exercise. If you aren't a seasoned athlete, most likely any amount of working out is going to make you somewhat sore. To avoid getting overly bad, try reining in the enthusiasm and limit yourself to working on one or two things a day such as just the arms, only torso and back, just leg stuff, add short aerobic work (running, spinning, etc.) By spreading out your workout, you don't overload yourself completely and if the area you worked hurts, you have more areas that don't so you can focus on them the next day, therefore keeping you from missing a day and falling out of your routine.

Another way to keep lactic acid at bay is to get rid of it quicker. Here's where massage can be the cure for your exercise woes. Massage pushes fluids through your system and can effectively drain and push out the lactic acid that is accumulating in your muscles. Long-stroked massage styles like Swedish Massage and Lymphatic Drainage can push the fluids through your system to the areas that filter and destroy the troublesome stuff, therefore getting it out of your system faster, and easing your soreness sooner. You shouldn't go for a long or deep massage because your muscles are healing and you don't want to tire them out any more than they already are, but getting rid of the excessive toxins gently can help speed the recovery and allow your muscle to stay healthier.

Massage can also help you with your new exercise routine even if you don't get sore. Building muscle where there wasn't strong muscle before can make you tight and your muscles can feel bulky. Massage can help lengthen and smooth tight, bunchy muscles and allow your muscles to build more lean and clean giving you a less stocky, bulky look and give you instead long, slim, lean muscles which is a healthier and more attractive muscle to have. Plus, since you've decided to make these ultimate changes to your body, don't neglect rewarding yourself with a pampering massage if you reach your workout goals or are just pleased that you've succeeded in making a positive and healthy change. So while change isn't easy, and exercise can feel like it's tearing you apart, you can always turn to massage to repair whatever is going on as a result of these changes.

Coming Next Time..... Double Up