In my youth (and even more recently) I have tended to put the pedal to the metal in anything I undertake. The result was that I could sustain this level for weeks, even months but eventually lose all interest in the activity (and sometimes alienate those around me in the process).
In these latter years, applying this tendency to physical pursuits has also resulted in injuries; nothing that serious but enough force me to stop exercising in that particular mode. Perhaps just a strained connective tissue or painful joint but one that interrupts the flow of beneficial activity.
I think (I hope) that I'm finally learning the lesson that consistency at a lower intensity is preferable to inconsistency and burnout at a high level. The goal is to change my lifestyle ... permanently. Patience is the key. That's why finding a fun activity is so essential. You have to be able to exercise because you enjoy it for itself, even if (and this is crucial) YOU DON'T SEE ANY RESULTS. Of course, I believe you will see results if you follow this path. I am starting to reap this benefit. First and foremost, I FEEL GREAT! This alone is enough to spur me on to exercise every day. I can feel the change in my body even if I am not losing weight as fast as I would like. And because I'm taking it easy, a lot of the aches and pains that have thwarted my efforts in the past have gone away.
Sometimes you may hear a statement like, "If you don't perform a cardio exercise for at least 40 minutes at 60% of your maximum heart rate you are not getting any fitter." This can be discouraging. I know similar statements have discouraged me in the past. They may be true but keep this very important fact in mind: anything at all that you can do is at least leading you up tocan do the 20 minutes or 40 minutes or whatever it is. Anything you can do is progress. Just keep at it consistently. It's a mistake to try to accomplish the "40 minutes" right out of the gate and hurt yourself or burn out and stop trying. the point where you
Additionally, if I do feel an ache or pain that is more than a properly sore muscle, I pay heed to it. If I'm not absolutely sure what's going on, I'll go to the doctor who can recommend stretching or icing or whatever or even refer me to x-rays and a specialist if necessary. In any event, I stop the particular exercise or activity that seems to be causing the problem until I know what's going on. In my own case I was doing bicep curls with a barbel using improper form, developed a pain in my right arm and decided it was muscular pain and to just work through it. Eventually, I couldn't even pick up a coffee cup. I had developed golfer's elbow and it took many years to overcome it. A difficult and painful lesson. You don't work through joint or connective tissue pain!
So please don't kill yourself! It's better to hold back from doing your max until you're really chomping at the bit to do more. Also, seek out something fun that is also healthy. If you don't find it, keep looking, keep trying. Enjoy life!
By: Gary Halbedel
Posted in: Exercise