A New Kinda Workout

If you want to try something new, now is an excellent time to start! You don't have to wait for the beginning of February, the beginning of spring, the first snowfall, or whatever. Just start NOW.

It seems I like to ignore my own advice sometimes, but tonight, I said, "what the heck?" and jumped into a Metabolic Effect class. The instructor was very dynamic and, of course, pushed us to go all out. We did jumping jacks, pushup thingies, a million squats with and without weights, lunges, those stupid burpie things, and a ton of ab work. He also said something about, "your rest periods should....blah, blah, blah..." 'cause I wasn't really listening. I think he said something about the rest periods being equal to the periods we worked out (all out). Since, apparently, I don't follow instructions very well, I got tired. Fast.

I enjoyed the class a great deal. I got my sweat on. I rocked the house (in my own mind, anyway). I will likely take this class again, but you know, those blah-blah rest periods? Maybe, just maybe, I need to incorporate just a bit more of that next time. I have a feeling rolling out of bed in the morning will be it's usual challenge times three or four. Thank God for ibuprofen! And good stretching.

The Great Outdoors

I was reminded for about the millionth time tonight that I really enjoy being outside. It is a really easy trap to fall into that if we are in the winter months that we can't possibly go outside because it's too cold, too wet, too...whatever. In some places, especially to the north, people would never go outside if this were the case. I am fortunate to live in a very temperate climate and, for the most part, the weather here is quite nice.

At my karate school we've just started a new semester of instruction for our college students who take our class for college credit. What a really neat bunch these guys are! The major challenge for us as instructors is floor space, particularly since we have a wide variance in expertise. We have the brand new beginners from the college, several intermediate students who returned from last semester, as well as our regular students who are more advanced. We split the groups up and I took the advanced students outside in the parking lot (yes, it was a bit dark and a bit chilly!). We trained as if we were inside, but had to contend with the elements (wind, threat of rain), as well as the distractions that are more easily shut out when we train inside. As our school is on a main thoroughfare, it was a bit noisy at times. The students were real troopers, however, and met the challenge head-on. Balance was compromised at times, as we trained in regular shoes and, at one point, we feared it might rain.

What I realized, as I allowed my hands to thaw out once I returned inside afterward was that I felt more exhilarated than if I had stayed inside. The air felt fresher outside, I was more attuned to how I had to move on an uneven surface, and I could not rely on the bank of mirrors that we have inside the dojo to see if I was performing a technique correctly. Instead, I had to rely on my own muscle memory and how my body felt. It reminded me of why I enjoy running outside when I really don't like to run...yes, I really don't like to run, but every run outdoors reminds me of why I enjoy being fit. In fact, years ago when I played adult coed soccer, we were playing a scrimmage game when a downpour began. We continued to play...mud, wet ball, sliding in the rainy grass. What a blast! I was sopping wet at the end, but that was probably the most fun I ever had playing soccer!

The point to this is that we should take the time to enjoy the outdoors every chance we get. It's okay to get wet. It's okay to be a little cold. Yes, you should dress appropriately, but don't let the little voice in the back of your head tell you that if you go outside in the cold that you will get sick. If you layer properly, you can still enjoy being outside and getting exercise. In fact, I'm not sure that being cooped inside breathing stale air doesn't make us more susceptible to all the icky cold germs floating around! I have several friends tell me about times they've been running, hiking, whatever outside and they share their stories of nature...running across a deer family or seeing a really beautiful sunrise/sunset. Tonight I was able to notice the cloud bank moving in from the west and how it made an awesome pattern across the sky. It was a little thing, but for me, it really made me appreciate the beauty of those things that aren't man made.

Workout Lazies

Sheesh...imagine someone who doesn't like taking her own advice. Don't think I know anyone like that. Nope. No way.

I (*gasp*) skipped my workout at the gym tonight. I seesawed back and forth about whether I shouldn't just go, even though I felt like crap, or if I should bag it. After taking a short little walk around the complex where I work this afternoon, I realized that working out tonight was not going to be in the column of the greatest decisions of all time for me. Needless to say, I bagged the gym and while I think that was a very wise decision for my somewhat beat-up body, I get grumpy when I don't get my endorphins raised.

Physically, I know my body will thank me later. Mentally, I am stressed out, so I am sort of losing just a little bit of what normally makes me feel better. First off (and I realize I am probably a very poor advertisement for karate right now), my left foot is very bruised on the instep courtesy of a horribly timed kick to one of my workout partners. Secondly, my right calf muscle was seriously strained at some point during my workout on Monday. Thirdly, I have a bruise on my shin roughly the shape of Turkey. Lastly, I got inadvertently "bopped" on the bridge of my nose (also during Monday) and now my sinuses are joining the chorus of pain.

Despite my whining, I know that tomorrow's workout and subsequent class will be much better for what feels like "workout laziness." Many would argue that taking care of my body is not laziness; in fact, I believe I have said much the same in a prior post. What hit me like a load of bricks is that my workouts, my pursuit of fitness, and my desire to feel strong and empowered is more a way of life for me than just a hobby. Karate is the same. I study karate-jitsu (or karate techniques), but the life I try to live with the principles embodied in the study of karate itself is karate-do ("karate way"). Being active is not just something I do around my life. I also put my life around being active.

So, I will grump my way through the rest of the evening, play a bit on the computer, and hopefully, come out all better tomorrow.

How to Battle the "Ouchies", or the I-don't-feel-like-moving-anymore-syndrome

What do you do after you have begun your journey into fitness and exercise and, after having an excellent workout the day before, you wake up the next day and you are SO SORE YOU CAN'T MOVE. Staying in bed sounds like the best possible option at that point. There are things you can do to minimize soreness, or at least minimize the impact it has on your life.

First of all, soreness is a part of the process. As you exercise, particularly if you are just beginning or coming back after a long layoff, you will be using muscles and tendons that simply have not been engaged in some time. In addition, by breaking down the muscle tissue, even minutely, you set your body's systems into motion to repair those muscles to build them up stronger. The acutal process of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS)- or that condition which causes us to be so freaking sore, we don't want to get out of bed- has more to do with the fact that the body's response is an inflammatory-repair response and the release of metabolites into the system. The long and the short of it is that you have mild to severe tenderness in the muscles. The good news is that this condition is temporary (24-72 hours). Contrary to popular opinion, it has nothing to do with a build up of lactic acid in the muscles. Lactic acid increases the "burning" feeling in your muscles when you workout, but this feeling does not last.

Now that you know you will be sore...here are some things you can do to make yourself feel more human. One popular option is to take anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen. While this is optimal if you are really, really sore, this is not the best option. Who really knows what long-term use of ibuprofen and the like does to the body? One piece of advice is to invest in a foam roller as a part of cool down. See here for ideas on how to use a foam roller. I have one that I use occasionally, particularly if I have had a really intense workout.

Active recovery is another fantastic option. An example of active recovery is walking, performing yoga, or even performing small household tasks. In other words, the more you sit still, the more stiff and sore you will be. In nice weather, I walk around the complex where I work during breaks. I go nice and easy and just enjoy being outdoors. Another example of active recovery for me is to do my kata slowly and with purpose, but without tension or force. Keeping the body moving often does for me what taking several days off does.

Ice baths are one option preferred by some. I have read of runners who swear by them. If the thought of an ice cold bath isn't appealing, you can also use an outdoor garden hose to spray down your legs, etc. I probably would use this idea only in the summer, but the thought is that the cold water reduces the swelling and inflammation in the muscles.

Sports massages are also useful for helping get rid of DOMS. I really enjoy massages, but it's not always a feasible option for me. If this is an option, find a really good massage therapist. I go to a man who happens to be certified in sports medicine/sports training. While this is not a requirement, he is a fantastic massage therapist and talks to me about injury treatment and prevention. (If you know me, you know how important this topic is for me!)

So, there are few options to help you out when you experience the inevitable soreness that comes from exercising. While it can be difficult to view soreness as a positive thing, just keep in mind that the muscle soreness from exercising is a great deal easier to take than soreness from inactivity!

Today for the first time, I did "Cindys," (a Crossfit workout of the day) that consisted of 5 (weight assisted) pullups, 10 pushups, and 15 squats. I completed 10 rounds in 20 minutes, which is not great, but not bad either. I was sucking wind when I finished, but wow, did I feel good afterward. We will see how I feel in the morning!

I've been doing quite a bit of reading at several strength training for women websites. I am really enjoying Gubernatrix. The author there gives excellent advice about exercise technique, as well as demystifying the experience of the weight room.

I have yet to find a martial arts/fitness blog written by a woman. (Hey, maybe I'm the first!) I plan to keep searching, however. Most of what I have found is primarily focused on MMA style fighting. While I have nothing against MMA, even the representative women who engage in this form of martial exercise (I hesitate to call it an "art", but that is a post for another day) are...well, let's just say that there appears to be an emphasis on looks and their photogenic qualities. Again, definitely not knocking these women...they are active, after all, and I totally support that.

I know that there are more of us female martial artists out there who do our art because we love it. So back to the "Google" drawing board!

What's that you said, Leslie's Body?

I have had several really excellent workouts lately, and because of this, it's difficult to make myself rest. Although it sounds antithetical, rest actually helps performance particularly in weight lifting or periods of intense training.

Weight lifting, or strength training, breaks down muscle and rest is required to rebuild the muscle, which will rebuild stronger. Resting, therefore, is important in a physical sense. I do find, as I get older, that I require a bit more rest than I did in my 20s, but in actuality, I feel I perform better.

Mental rest is important as well. There have been days that I just did not feel up to the challenge of going to the gym or the dojo, or I felt like skipping my run. Most of the time, the lethargy I feel has more to do with the stresses of my job or life in general rather than facing up to my training routine. In those cases, if I can get myself to the gym/dojo, 80% of the time, I can do my workout and the endorphins make me feel better. In the dojo, especially, I feel much better, as the energy of the students or the challenges of my own training can break me out of a funk. The other 20% of the time, the lethargy indicates a serious need to step away from workouts.

Common sense tells me that I need to rest today, as I have had a pretty intense week of activity and have an intense workout planned for tomorrow, but the desire to workout can override my sense on occasion. My much more intelligent cousin opted out of our run this morning and I applaud her for being able to make that decision. I, on the other hand, am concentrating on completing this post so I won't sit and *twitch* over my desire to be active! Listening to my body, which is telling me that if I go out and try to run, my knee will be angry with me later. Thanks, Leslie's Body.

The one best reason to rest and recover is that you do not want to run the risk of overtraining or burn-out. Many experts advise taking your resting pulse rate every morning to obtain an idea of your average. Once an average is obtained, if your pulse is 10 beats a minute higher than normal, it could be a sign of over training and fatigue. For me, a higher resting pulse rate sometimes indicates that I may be getting sick, I have noticed. This makes a great deal of sense, in that fatigue and over training can potentially compromise one's immune system. In fact, there have been times, I admit, that getting sick forced me to rest when I wouldn't have otherwise.

One of the fights I have daily is the struggle for balance. Listening to my body, knowing what my threshold is, and giving myself adequate time to rest will make me a better athlete in the long run.

Femininity versus Strength

The prevailing misperception about active women, particularly those engaged in body contact (martial arts, rugby, etc.) or so-called "extreme" sports (mountain biking, rock climbing), is that their sport overshadows their femininity. This comes up in casual conversations quite often, as women perceive that sports, sweating, working our bodies, means that they are less feminine somehow. The assumption that women can only do step aerobics or walk on the treadmill means that many women won't try new or exciting sports for the fear of looking less than female.

The thought processes behind our world views of what is "male" and "female" are most certainly influenced by the media. The fashion magazines, despite a probable correlation between eating disorders and how super-skinny models are portrayed, have not stopped flooding the market with women who might weigh 100 lbs soaking wet. While channel surfing the other day, I saw a portion of the show about tryouts for an NFL cheerleading team. I stopped the remote; I couldn't help it. The part that I saw had to do with the candidates trying on the actual uniforms for the first time and the coach/leader/whatever she is would seriously critique each woman's physique in the uniform. Some of the comments seemed inane to me...honestly, who is really looking at the "line" of those tee-tiny little shorts and whether or not it is perfectly smooth? Maybe some people do look at those things, but the women who are there trying out for the team have to be fit and fairly strong in order to perform the moves they do. They are true athletes, but unfortunately, cheerleading (at least at that level) seems to be more about appearances. I hate to think how many of those beautiful women developed or will develop eating disorders as a result of trying to have a "smooth line" along the butt cheek or to lose enough weight to fit in the damn uniform to begin with. How much of this attitude trickles down to our teenagers? I respect cheerleading as an athletic pursuit, but I cannot buy in to the "looks are all" mentality.

Women can be strong and beautiful. Most women, even those without children, have had the occasion to pick up a two year old child. That takes real strength. Climbing a rock wall? Same strength. Mopping a floor requires muscles too. Women must be strong to manage and run a household. Granted, some women do have significant others who do the "heavy" lifting or the "men's work" in their home, but many do not and have to function with the strength of a man and a woman.

Perhaps I am biased, as I grew up wanting to be active regardless of how others viewed me. Sports and fitness are expressions for me of how I can use my body's abilities to the fullest potential. I am not necessarily athletically gifted, but strength training, running, playing basketball are not activities for the male gender alone. We can pursue our fitness and maintain control over how our bodies look.

Turkey Day 5K

Yesterday my cousin and I ran/walked in the inaugural Early Bird 5K in Lexington, NC. Honestly, it wasn't pretty, but we did it actually 2 minutes faster than the 5K we did October. Was the 2 minute decrease due to our awesome speedwork and training? Hell, no...it was a measure of the amount of hills in the Lexington race versus the amount of hills in the Ardmore 5K in October. Nonetheless, we finished and finished fairly strongly, particularly since the end was about a quarter mile of downhill! I sorta left my cousin behind, mainly because I was afraid to stop and also because, despite my best efforts, I can be very competitive. She makes fun of me for this, as she has noticed that if we are near others, I tend to speed up to pass them. I insist that this is totally unconscious on my part, but the reality is, I actually do this "accidentally on purpose." I can be so competitive that it is really good that I engage mostly in a sport where the competition is only with myself!

My karate has a tenet that states that our training is "Not to conquer others, but to conquer the weakness in oneself." This is very appealing to me, especially since the increase in popularity of Mixed Martial Arts gives the public the idea that the goal is to beat others bloody. That is not what my karate is all about. While karate was developed as a means for those who were not allowed to use weapons to defend themselves, it was not intended as a means of controlling others. That being said, if I get attacked, then I WILL defend myself. A responsibility, as any law enforcement officer can tell you, is using equal force. If someone hits me, I should not then pull out a knife. If he has a knife and I am 30 feet away, I cannot then use a gun. Heck, if I'm 30 feet away, I ain't sticking around to see what he will do with the knife! With the knowledge I have been given, I am charged to use it responsibly. Because my job as a child welfare worker involves going into some potentially charged and tense situations, I must always be aware of my own actions. If someone is angry with me, I cannot come back at them with anger (even if they are the worst child molester on the planet). I attempt to defuse the situation and defend myself only if physically attacked. After nearly 11 years as a child protective services worker, I have never been physically threatened. This doesn't mean that it won't happen; my responsibility is also to be aware of my surroundings and to respond with common sense. This may mean being polite and showing compassion even when I don't want to do so. I have to disengage that competitive, "I-can-beat-you" aspect of myself.

On the other hand, competition can be motivational. I have competed in tournaments before, even at the national level. What you realize though, is that after a certain age and rank, women do not feel compelled to compete, particularly in sparring, so tournaments really don't give me much motivation. (Why pay $40-$50 or more to get "awarded" 1st place?) My competition, then, can be friendly. If my friend in the dojo can do a better spinning back kick than me, I try to use that as a means to make myself want to improve on my own kick, rather than do it for the sake of being better than someone else. Alas, it can be difficult...but as with anything, do the best you can however you can for as long as you can!

Mind Matters

I had an awesome workout tonight! At my dojo, we have class with an Isshinryu practitioner every other Monday. Although his style of karate is different from mine (wado ryu), I learn so much from him every time. As he reminds us, he does not teach us different karate techniques or anything that is not a part of our own karate system, but he teaches us a different perspective and makes us exercise our brains.

One additional benefit of exercise is that while facilitating the mind-body connections, neuroscience research tells us that it also can improve memory and learning, particularly the cognition-related declines that can occur with aging, and can help with preventing or alleviating depression. The point is, that whether you do bellydancing, Zumba, kettlebells, or walking around the block with the dog, you can impact not only your physical body, but also impact your mental and emotional health. Perhaps this is why, especially after our black belt classes on Mondays, I always feel (especially for a Monday) that all is right with my world.

Keeping On Top of Things

This week has been nuts, maybe because it is so close to the holidays. Regardless, my job has me running (literally), as one day I HAD to get to an appointment on time and the weather was monsoon-like. I delayed as long as I could and then finally decided that it wasn't going to let up and, hey, it's just a little rain. I had to ford a river in the parking lot that had to be 2 inches deep and I got drenched (but made it to my appointment!). During my venture to my car, approximately 100 yards or so, I was walking fast and then running, which probably got me wetter, but to the car much quicker. I was pleased that I could run and was only slightly winded.

I managed to bail on my walk/runs, except for the unplanned walk home after running out of gas. I did, however, make it to the gym twice and karate workouts twice (not counting teaching on Thursday). I also teach tomorrow, but plan to get some kata work in. So, for the upcoming 5K run on Thanksgiving, my cousin and I will likely walk and run in equal measure depending on how we feel. Still, that's a minimum 300 calorie burn, pre-Thanksgiving meal regardless of the method of getting there. Not too shabby for a holiday!