Hi everyone!
This is my continuation of my fitness and injuries posts:
Figuring out the overuse injuries
Overuse injuries – 2 weeks later…
I'm basically trying to work out my fitness and solve my injuries in real time. It's a very slow process, especially because with a lot of the injuries I have, it's really unclear what is actually helping, what is hindering, and if I can actually make any difference myself at all, what role time plays, etc. My thought is that if I write it all down, I can stand to figure out what is helping and what isn't.
ALSO!!! People's comments have been so extremely helpful on my past posts, so thank you to everyone who has shared ideas or what's worked for them. Really super mega appreciate it!
Oh man... have funny GIFs now become advertising? That's a massive bummer.
Here are the 5 things I'm working through:
1.) Golfer's Elbow in both elbows
2.) Plantar Fasciitis
3.) If my neck is in the same position for a while (driving, sitting at a computer, watching TV) then it becomes super tight and I get headaches that last hours.
4.) Lower Back pain
5.) Hypertonic Supersonic Pelvic Floor muscles.
I've made a few changes to help attack some of these things, which I'll tackle at the end after I explain what I've been doing this last fortnight...
These are the measurements I took this morning using my Renpho scale thingy:
I just figured out the slightly different colouring of the numbers here. The green of Weight and BMI are in the normal range. Body Fat has a different scale, and I'm in the Acceptable range, Protein has a different scale as well and I'm in the Adequate range.
I'm not really concerned with any of this... I'm really just including it in case any of it does become relevant/useful later on. I'd rather have more data than less at this point.
I am really focused on saving money at the moment. I have a monthly saving goal that I'm trying to hit, and it is tight.
This focus has made me realize that take away/take out food is so super expensive. I've always been a eat at home during the week, but maybe get something more fun on the weekends kinda guy and I'm essentially going to have to cut that out. Even the food trucks are really expensive, especially when you include a tip (it's honestly hard not to - and I know money is tight for everyone at the moment).
I did have takeout 3 times in the last 2 weeks (once was after a massive presentation at work and I was honestly too emotionally exhausted to deal with anything) but I'm going to see if I can go the next two weeks without getting any take away at all. Everything I eat will be made by myself.
I really also need to focus on drinking more water - I found yesterday that my head would spin every time I stood up. I've never really had that before so I drank quite a bit of water and it seemed to go away... but something to keep an eye on.
I've reduced my upper body workouts to try and work through my Golfer's Elbow issues... and I think it's helped.
I've reduced both the amount of exercises I was doing, and eliminated any bicep curl/tricep curl motion. Once I don't get any elbow pain I'll see if I can slowly introduce things back in... if it means I'm doing bicep curls with the smallest possible weights and people walk in and look at me funny, so be it.
August 22nd:
2 sets of:
- 24 lb. barbell shoulder press (x 10)
- 15 lb. chest press (x10)
- pull ups (x6)
August 25th:
2 sets:
- pull ups (x6)
- 10 lb. side press (x10)
- 10 lb. front press (x10)
- 24 lb. shoulder press (x10)
- 15 lb. bench press (x10)
- 15 lb. bench fly (x10)
September 3rd:
3 sets:
- pull ups (x6)
2 sets:
- 10 lb. side press (x10)
- 10 lb. front press (x10)
- 24 lb. shoulder press (x10)
- 15 lb. bench press (x10)
- 15 lb. bench fly (x10)
I'm finding this all super easy without any muscle soreness the days after.
I haven't really had any Golfer's elbow pain the last few days. There was one instance where it was very sore in the morning after I slept on one arm funny... but I'll slowly try and increase my upper body workouts (extremely slowly) to see if I can keep avoiding doing any damage to my elbows.
I've tried a couple of things to combat my plantar fasciitis (pain in my heels first thing in the morning and walking around after sitting a while).
The first two weeks I stopped doing lower body exercises but continued running.
The second two weeks I started lower body exercises but stopped running.
I do think the second strategy has worked a lot better. I don't think I had any heel pain when I got up this morning.
I will say that I find my replacement exercises a lot less satisfying than running. I don't feel like I've worked out as much (even though I can actually be more sweating) and I just find them way more boring and unengaging. I like seeing all the things around the city. I do listen to podcasts (which I don't do when running because I'll definitely be hit by a car, bus, cyclist, scooterist, skateboarder if I'm not paying absolute full attention) but it's still really hard work.
August 20th:
2 sets :
- calf raises (x20)
- step ups (x20)
- 35 lb. kettle bell squats (x10)
- lunges (no weight) (x20)
- jump squats (x10)
August 24th:
2 sets :
- calf raises (x20)
- step ups (x20)
- 35 lb. kettle bell squats (x10)
- lunges (no weight) (x20)
- jump squats (x10)
August 31st:
2 sets :
- calf raises (x20)
- step ups (x20)
- 35 lb. kettle bell squats (x10)
- lunges (no weight) (x20)
- jump squats (x10)
I'm finding these exercises pretty easy as well, so I think I'll slowly try and increase a couple of things to see if I can make them harder while still healing my heels.
Over the last 14 days I have:
20 minutes elliptical machine 5 times.
20 minutes rowing 3 times.
20 minutes cycling 1 time.
That's 9 cardio adventures out of 14. Pretty happy with that.
I should probably be doing 30 minutes instead of 20... but it takes such a mental push to even do 20.
I'm going to see if I can sneak a run or two into the mix to see how that affects my heels.
I've definitely tried to do my rehab exercises a lot more.. I do think they help my various overuse injuries, particularly my plantar fasciitis. I haven't been keeping track of how often I do them, I probably should... but at a guess... maybe 8 times out of 14.
I've also included some new stretches for my hypertonic pelvis - but it's hard to know if they've made much difference.
I will say that my pelvis/pelvic floor has been way more irritated/uncomfortable... but it's hard to know if that's because I'm far more aware and conscious of it because I'm actively trying to fix it.
When you're uncomfortable/in pain all the time, you get good at ignoring it... and so am I actually in more pain or am I just more aware of it? If I am actually in more pain, is it good more pain that leads to healing... or bad more pain that leads to more damage?
I honestly have no idea.
I think the current status of things is:
1.) Golfer's Elbow - better in both elbows
2.) Plantar Fasciitis - better in both heels
3.) Stiff neck headaches - generally better but I was wiped out one afternoon from this.
4.) Lower Back pain - maybe the same... I'm ignoring this one.
5.) Hypertonic Pelvic Floor - worse
With my pelvic floor, I have found that sitting on my couch is slower to get irritated than sitting at either desk chair, I've also rolled up two towels to sit on (one under each leg/butt cheek) and sometimes that feels better and sometimes feels worse. It's a very weird injury.
Even writing this post I've both stood up and sat down a few times to mix things up for my pelvic floor and I think that is generally less irritating. Standing down wreak my lower back though, so that's fun.
So that's the current status of all the things. Thanks for reading!
Also shared to my blog : https://lifebe.com.au/fitness/overuse-injuries-first-month/