Back up; our bodies react to pain for a reason and we should learn to pay attention to that pain. It's time to stop teaching our children and ourselves to ignore the signals our bodies are created with.The old adage, "No pain; no gain." is bullshit. Yeah, that's right. If you are experiencing pain, there's a reason. Whether it's an injury caused by slipping in the mud or a sore shoulder, you should take it into account when you exercise. I mentioned in Part 1 of this blog series that I've had many injuries in my life; they weren't usually severe enough to warrant a visit to the doctor, but they definitely affected my physical abilities. One year ago, I injured my right shoulder; it wasn't a sudden injury, but rather a slow progression of damage that eventually lead to my inability to use my right arm. I couldn't reach across my body to my left side for some time and I was unable to crochet for a full year. The older we get, the more damage we accrue. Rather than using the physical restrictions as an excuse not to exercise, you should modify your movements.
My husband shared a guide book that came along with his resistance bands. I have incorporated several of these exercises into my routine along with moving to music. I have had to modify several of them due to limitations, but they are still helping me gain strength without causing pain or further injury. I do five exercises on Day 1 and a different five on Day 2. Then I alternate days.
The band hangs equally on each side of the door. Facing the door, I anchor my elbows at my waist and pull down on both ends with equal exertion. The important part here is to not over-do the amount of 'weight'. Use a band strength that is fairly easy. My husband says you should feel some soreness in your muscles to show they've been worked without feeling pain. It's better to do multiple repetitions in sets than to do only a few repetitions with a heavy band. The heavier band may just cause pain and more injury.
I don't use resistance bands at all with this one. My hips are too weak. I just do the squats. Be sure you sit back like you sitting in a chair. Draw an imaginary vertical line straight down from you knees; to avoid injury, your knees should never move forward of your toes. If your knees hurt, you're probably doing these wrong.
Modification? I do both biceps at the same time; it feels more balanced.
I don't use resistance bands on this one either. I just do the lunges. Make sure your front knee doesn't bend too far forward on this one either. I can only do six per side; but when I started, I could only do five. I try to do these lunges close to a table or chair to help me balance; again, it's due to a hip injury.
Day1: Side Bends
I modified this one because of my previous shoulder problems. Also, my band is too short to raise above my head. I step on one end of the band while choking up on the other end with my hand hanging at my side. Then I bend sideways in the opposite direction, sliding down the side of my leg toward my knee. This works the muscles along the sides of my torso. It's a small movement, but it's effective. After doing the repetitions on one side, I switch to the other side.
I started doing 3 sets of 10 repetitions with my lightest band - only 6 pounds. Then I increased to 12 repetitions and now I'm up to 15. I didn't increase band strength, just repetitions. Once again, it's better to do multiple sets of repetitions rather than all at once. I work my way through the five exercises, take a break (ie. dance, run in place, etc), then repeat two more times.
I followed my Day 1 routine for the first month, but then I wanted more variety and I added the Day 2 exercises. If you only do a limited number of movements, the muscles get used to it and it's less challenging for them.
Day 2: Tricep Extensions
I pretty well follow this one exactly. Mainly being sure I don't overdo the amount of band strength.
I'm not much for getting up and down from the floor, so I do this one while lying on my bed. I broke my 6-pound band with this exercise and it pulled my groin muscles. Rather than push through like I used to do, I immediately stopped doing this exercise for that day. By the next day, I didn't feel any soreness.
Day 2: Lateral Rows
I modified this exercise for two reasons: one being practical - my band is too short; the other, it's hard for me to perform this movement with both shoulders at the same time. So I stand on one end of the band and pull straight out and up to the side, then switch to the other side.
(This one should be called 'Butt Smacker'. Sometimes the band would slip off my foot and smack me in the butt. My husband would hear the smack and just laugh.) You can probably tell by the scribbling that I modified this one the most. Getting on my knees is hard. Trying to kneel while holding the band is even harder. I will try to explain what I do. Balancing on one foot, I loop the center of the band under the arch of my other foot, I pull both ends of the band to my chest while bending that leg at the knee and hip, then I push down and back. Not only does this strengthen my butt muscles, it also improves my balance.
I haven't modified this one except I didn't move my feet at first, I just stood with them shoulder-width apart. I wasn't coordinated enough to figure it out. Now I do the full movement.
Notice I alternate by doing an upper body exercise and then a lower body exercise. I wanted to focus on my upper arm strength, upper legs, and hips, so those are the exercises I incorporated. I tried walking, but that particular movement causes pain in my hips. However, I can jog in place without any pain. There are lots and lots of videos on YouTube with guidelines given by Occupational or Physical Therapists. Look them up and follow along. Find the exercises that work best to accomplish your goal.There are plenty to choose from.
Do I exercise every day? NO! I listen to my body. If I'm really tired, sick or maybe I have a headache, I don't ignore that. I will skip that day and take up where I left off. Sometimes I skip several days, the main thing is to get back at it as soon as possible. Don't give in to temptation and quit.
By-the-way, you should also listen to your body when it comes to the food choices you make. Feel a craving for a specific food? Maybe you need a vitamin or mineral it supplies. Do you feel a lack of energy one morning? Think about what you ate the night before. I have a friend who says she doesn't feel arthritis pain since she quit eating meat. She gets her protein straight from plants. So once again it's smart to listen to your body.
Excellent!!! So proud of you Debbie. My parents, who were health fanatics, made us drink apple cider vinegar, honey and grape juice every morning when we were growing up. We grew all of our fruits and vegetables and ate very little meat. We weren't sick very often. We also all had bikes and usually took family bike rides every evening. Thanks for the reminder and insight ! I loved reading your Blogs!! Keep em coming 😀
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